Penn State football welcomed 26 new signees to the recruiting class of 2025 on Wednesday as part of the early signing period.

This year’s class is ranked No. 17 in the nation by the 247Sports Composite, including highly-touted prospects like offensive lineman Malachi Goodman, Daryus Dixson, LaVar Arrington II, and Bekkem Kritza.

This year’s celebration was a bit different than in years past, though, as Penn State’s players and coaches are right in the middle of Big Ten Championship preparation. Teams with a Big Ten Championship berth haven’t had to host National Signing Day in the midst of game preparation before, though, as the early signing period for the Class of 2025 was moved forward almost two weeks after the NCAA announced in October that the National Letter of Intent would be eliminated.

“Removing the letter of intent ultimately didn’t make too much difference, in the sense that the conferences have essentially created their own version of the letter of intent,” General Manager of Personnel and Recruitment Andy Frank said. “When the players signed today, they’re signing a Big Ten Conference agreement with us that basically stipulates they’re not going to be recruited by anybody else throughout the country.”

Starting at 7 a.m., James Franklin met with the recruits, they were officially announced, and then they had a brief chat with either an assistant coach or member of the recruiting staff before heading to an interview on the livestream.

Even with the new date, the ever-changing landscape of college football, and the impending House settlement, the Nittany Lions managed a drama-free signing day. All 26 players committed to Penn State going into Wednesday signed with the team.

“One of the things that we take great pride in, knock on wood, is that we have not had a whole lot of drama on signing day,” Franklin said. “We’re very upfront and honest and transparent with the families and the kids that we recruit. They know what they’re getting. We know what we’re getting, and we typically don’t have a whole lot of issues.”

Franklin and the entire football program have worked to bolster NIL resources since the new rules took effect in July of 2021, and while those around the program feel like they’ve made significant strides, Frank said it hasn’t changed recruiting practices all that much.

Franklin emphasizes family in the Lasch Building, and the culture at Penn State was a selling point for a lot of the recruits who officially became Nittany Lions on Wednesday. While NIL deals have to be a part of the recruiting process nowadays, the Penn State recruiting staff doesn’t think it should be the most important factor.

“We’re all trying to feel out the landscape to try and figure out how to advance in the new world of college football that involves NIL and compensation for the players,” Frank said. “Now, the money is another piece of that, but if it’s the only thing that a family or a kid is looking at, we’re probably not going to be the place for them.”

The Nittany Lions haven’t been a very transfer portal-heavy team, with just six players transferring to Penn State ahead of the 2024 season. According to Director of Player Personnel Kenny Sanders, it’s due to the amount of importance put on developing under the Penn State system.

The transfer portal opens on Monday, though, and the recruiting staff will have to shift its focus to shoring up the roster.

“Although I’m going to kind of shift my focus to [the transfer portal], it’s really not going to be a tremendous endeavor for me,” Sanders said. “We’re going to look at guys that we think can come in and help us but at the same time, we’ve built a really good roster that we feel good about so I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of need there.”

But before Franklin and his staff turn their attention to the transfer portal, there’s a Big Ten Championship to win. Having the eyes of the nation on the Nittany Lions this Saturday in Indianapolis is a major advantage for Penn State’s brand.

Reaching the Big Ten Championship coupled with the air of excitement that’s permeated the Lasch Building this week is a sign that the recruiting staff has brought in the right people, and the program is excited to showcase that come Saturday.

“We want to recruit kids that want to win. That’s what we’re here for,” Sanders said. “If we’re bringing in the right type of kids, they understand that, and that’s their goal too. We can never shy away from competition. That’s not how the world works. That’s not how football works.”