Penn State, James Franklin make big recruiting move on Monday

James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions are expected to be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten during the upcoming 2025 college football season.

Last year, Penn State made a run all the way to the Capital One Orange Bowl before being eliminated by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish just one game away from the national championship. It was a disappointing finish, but a sign that the Nittany Lions are on the right path.

With starting quarterback Drew Allar back for another season, Penn State should be a potential championship contender once again.

Making a run at a national championship this season is the clear goal for 2025, but Franklin wants to create a program that is a yearly contender. In order to do that, he'll need to continue recruiting at an elite level both in the high school recruiting market and in the transfer portal.

On Monday, Franklin and the Nittany Lions made a major recruiting move.

Davion Brown, a four-star wide receiver from Virginia, announced that he has committed to the program with a two-word message on X.

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"1000% Committed!!" he wrote.

1000% Committed !! #WeAre @PennStateFball @coachjfranklin @coachmhagans pic.twitter.com/rjzj91C9IW

Brown is ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 18 overall wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. He is also ranked No. 143 overall in the nation and No. 6 in the state of Virginia.

This could be a big-time move when Penn State looks back on it in a few years. Brown offers huge potential for the future and will be a nice addition to help keep the Nittany Lions' offense dangerous even after Allar heads off to the NFL.