Penn State’s 2027 recruiting class now has eight four-star prospects, according to Rivals, following Monday’s update ahead of the 2026 season. Previously, Rivals credited the Nittany Lions with six four-star prospects.

You’ll find the same three players at the top of the Rivals300, with future Nittany Lion cornerback Kei’shjuan Telfair remaining at No. 92 overall and the top-ranked player in the class. Defensive tackle Stanley Montgomery (No. 104) and linebacker Case Alexander (No. 123) also held firm at their previous rankings. All rank among the Top 15 at their respective positions as well.

It’s the back half of the ranking that you’ll find some changes, beginning with offensive tackle David Tarawallie. Previously, the Painesville, Ohio, native had earned an 87 overall rating, making him a midrange three-star. Now, Tarawallie not only earned his fourth star by Rivals, but he also climbed all the way to No. 168 nationally, making him the 14th-ranked offensive tackle in the class.

Listed at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, Tarawallie played tackle last season at roughly 235 pounds. However, as he continued to add weight throughout the offseason, schools began to take notice. Cincinnati became the first school to offer him in March, and he eventually totaled 15 offers by the time he committed to the Nittany Lions in early May.

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“What’s gotten him to where he is now is the process,” Riverside head coach Jeremy Ishmael said about Tarawallie. “He’s a testament to that process, to that grind. You never know when that process is going to love you back, and that finally happened for him this offseason.”

Defensive end Elijah Guertin from Rhode Island is also just inside the Rivals300 now at No. 298 nationally. Unlike Tarawallie, Guertin was always on the fringe of earning a four-star rating, as Rivals had previously assigned him an 89 rating, making him one of the top-ranked three-stars.

Now, Rivals has the 6-foot-5, 250-pound prospect as Penn State’s fifth-ranked prospect in the class.

“He had a 10-6 broad jump and ran a 4.55 40 for us earlier this year,” said Bishop Hendricken defensive line coach Michael Dowdy. “But on the track, I’ve never seen a kid post [a 14.95-second 110-meter hurdle] time like that. He was about 235 [pounds] at the time. I’ve never seen a kid run that fast, that thick, in the 110 hurdles. He also hurt his groin at one point. That 100-meter time he had of 11.5 could’ve been even better if that wasn’t slowing him down at the time.”

While the additions of Tarawallie and Guertin should excite fans, Penn State also saw three players drop out of the Rivals300, beginning with tight end Cooper Terwilliger, who was previously ranked No. 240 overall. Wide receiver Landon Blum, who was previously No. 279 overall, and linebacker Blake Betton, previously No. 295, also dropped out of the Rivals300.

However, all three still have an overall rating of 90, making them four-star prospects.

Penn State Commits in the Updated 2027 Rivals300

92) CB Kei’shjuan Telfair (No Change)
104) DL Stanley Montgomery (No Change)
123) LB Case Alexander (No Change)
168) OL David Tarawallie (New to Rivals300)
298) DE Elijah Guertin (New to Rivals300)

Dropped Out

TE Cooper Terwilliger (Previously No. 240)
WR Landon Blum (Previously No. 279)
LB Blake Betton (Previously No. 295)