2027 recruits on offense who caught our eye at Penn State’s camps this summer

Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff hosted thousands of recruits on campus this summer between eight different camps, and there was no shortage of standout underclassmen. As we often see, school camps tend to kick off recruitments with players who are just now entering their sophomore or sometimes even freshman seasons. The current class for 2025 is full of players who didn’t truly emerge as bonafide prospects for the Nittany Lions until they showed what they could do at camp a few years back.

With that in mind, there were quite a few prospects on offense that we were able to see up close for the first time in either June or July. Here are just some of the up-and-coming 2027 talent that I think fans should be following this fall.

QBs Brady Edmunds & Peter Bourque

Penn State hosted its fair share of talented quarterbacks in a variety of classes this summer, but for 2027, Brady Edmunds and Peter Bourque were easily the top two in my view. Edmunds, who resides in Huntington Beach, Calif., is already a national quarterback prospect with 20 scholarship offers and counting. He didn’t test for the staff while on campus back on June 9, but Edmunds did throw for them. As you would expect for a player who should rank among the nation’s very best, he didn’t disappoint. Between his release and his accuracy, it’s easy to understand why he has the offers he does already.

But it may have been Bourque who impressed me even more, mainly because I didn’t realize how polished he already was when I watched him for the first time at Penn State’s June 14 7-on-7 tournament. Sean and I were able to watch him throw again in July against a host of talented prospects at the Whiteout Camp, and that’s where Bourque shined the most. His ability to not only throw on the run but also complete a variety of throws at different arm angles was impressive.

Bourque also proved he’s a solid athlete, running a 4.7-second 40 at 6-4, 195 pounds. Not bad for a quarterback who’s just now entering his sophomore season.

RBs Kemon Spell & Sa’Nir Brooks

Penn State fans became familiar with running back Kemon Spell quickly, as the McKeesport native committed to the Nittany Lions back on Aug. 2, just under a week after he camped. At 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Spell has the frame to pack on some serious muscle with three years of high school still remaining. His 4.6-second 40 is also encouraging at his age. If he can improve that by a tenth or so the next few years while also adding that size, it makes sense why Penn State would take Spell as early as they did.

But Aliquippa running back Sa’Nir Brooks also deserves a mention here. He doesn’t hold an offer from the Nittany Lions just yet, but as long as he performs as expected at his new school – Brooks transferred from Central Catholic in the offseason – that should change this fall. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound back ran a 4.55 40 as a sophomore and can already surpass 10 feet in the broad jump. That’s a great place to start with plenty of time to grow and mature.

Brooks will be playing alongside future Penn State back Tiqwai Hayes this fall, so that may limit his touches, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he has a breakout season for the Quips.

WR Myles McAfee

I first saw wide receiver Myles McAfee at the Baltimore Under Armour Camp in May. I didn’t know much about him going into the camp, but left that day not surprised at all that he earned MVP honors at receiver. The only thing that left me scratching my head was why a school like Penn State, who’s more aggressive than most at recruiting young players, hadn’t offered him yet.

Fast-forward just a few weeks later to June 2 and that was no longer an issue, as the Archbishop Spalding sophomore picked up an offer from Penn State immediately after camp. At just under 6-0, 165 pounds, McAfee ran a 4.7-second laser-timed 40 at Under Armour and had a 4.4-second shuttle at Penn State. He still has plenty of time to improve on those numbers as well, while his route running is already on a different level compared to most his age. I’m excited to see how he does with 2025 QB Malik Washington this fall following his transfer from St. John’s.

TE Colt Lumpris

Colt Lumpris camped at Penn State as a wide receiver, but at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds already, it feels inevitable that he ultimately ends up moving to tight end down the road. But just like he did at the Elite 11 Regional Camp in State College a few weeks prior, Lumpris proved that he can move well for his size. He has a good lateral movement and caught the ball well at both camps this summer. He needs to work on his explosion, especially because he’ll only continue to grow, but Lumpris has the ingredients to be one of the region’s next top tight end prospects.

OL Maxwell Hiller

Of the players listed, I don’t think anyone impressed me as much as Maxwell Hiller. A native of Coatesville, Pa., I think you can make the case already that he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the state regardless of age. That includes the likes of Kevin Brown, Tyler Merrill, Michael Carroll and many others who will end up playing at the game’s highest level. That’s how good I think Hiller can be.

At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, he’s a true offensive tackle at the next level with great feet and a frame that could really fill out once he loses a bit of baby fat. There’s a long way to go, but if Penn State could pair him with Brown one day, that has duo has the potential to be very, very special.

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