The second-ranked recruit in the nation and the top defensive back prospect will make his decision official on May 26th live on ESPNU, according to ESPN. Jabrill Peppers was sought by just about every college football program in the nation, but he’s down to a short list of just six schools and Penn State is on it along with favorite Michigan, Stanford, Rutgers, Notre Dame, and LSU.

At 6’1″ and 210 pounds, Peppers was a standout running back and defensive back — the position he is expected to play in college — at Don Bosco Preparatory High School in New Jersey before transferring to Paramus Catholic High School for his junior season. In his three years of high school football, Peppers won three state championships. He received a number of accolades for a strong junior season, including being named MSG Varsity’s Player of the Year.

Peppers is a five-star recruit and is ranked no lower than second best overall player in the nation. In 12 games this season, Peppers posted 1552 yards on just 172 carries — good for a 9.02 yards per carry average — along with 18 touchdowns. He caught 20 passes for another 337 yards and five more tocuhdowns. He added 70 tackles and three interceptions on the season in the secondary. He is advertised as an athletically gifted defensive back with great speed, great hands, and very few weaknesses.

Peppers has scheduled an overnight visit at Penn State on May 18th, his second trip to State College. While many recruiting experts had pegged Michigan as a shoe-in for a Peppers commit, that appears not to be so secure. As of now, there are no other scheduled recruiting trips for Peppers before his May 26th announcement date.

A commitment to Penn State from Peppers on May 26th would be unexpected but an enormous boost for the program. Head coach Bill O’Brien has proven that recruiting will not be as difficult as many thought during the sanction years, but bringing in a recruit of Peppers’ caliber would be a real feat for the program. O’Brien has had a much easier time recruiting for offense since he joined the program a year ago, and Peppers would be his first true big-name defensive recruit.