Penn State Adds Wide Receiver to 2025 Recruiting Class

Koby Howard, a 4-star prospect from Florida, commits to the Nittany Lions.

Penn State football coach James Franklin celebrates with the students following a Nittany Lions victory at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State on Sunday added another wide receiver to its 2025 recruiting class, as 4-star prospect Koby Howard announced his commitment. Howard is the third receiver to join the Nittany Lions' 2025 class, which now has 23 players committed.

Howard, who will be a senior at Chaminade-Madonna High in Hollywood, Florida, announced his decision Sunday with Rivals' John Garcia Jr. He chose Penn State over Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida State and Florida.

Howard will be a senior at Chaminade-Madonna High in Hollywood, Florida, after transferring from Western High in Davie. He caught 65 passes for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 224 yards.

Howard recently visited Penn State for the Lasch Bash football event and committed about a week later. He took official visits to Penn State and Ole Miss in June and also made an earlier unofficial visit to Florida State. The 5-11, 185-pound receiver is a 4-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the the No. 51 player in Florida. Howard brings a long offer sheet to Penn State that included Georgia, Auburn, Colorado, LSU and Missouri, among many others.

Penn State now has three wide receivers committed to the 2025 class. Howard joins 4-star Maryland prospect Jeff Exinor Jr. and 3-star New York talent Lyrick Samuel. The class ranks 16th nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Penn State goes on a commitment run

Penn State coach James Franklin has received a flurry of commitments recently across three classes. On Friday, Maryland receiver Lavar Keys committed to the Nittany Lions' 2026 class, lifting it to No. 1 in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings. The program also received its first commitment for the 2927 recruiting class.

Kemon Spell, a running back from McKeesport High in western Pennsylvania, kicked off the 2027 class with his commitment announcement Friday. Spell (5-9, 185 pounds) has drawn significant early recruiting interest after becoming a two-way showcase player for McKeesport High as freshman. He
rushed for 579 yards and nine touchdowns last season, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and also caught two touchdown passes. Defensively, Spell returned an interception and a missed field goal for touchdowns as well.

That prompted Spell to receive offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Pitt, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others. He recently attended Penn State's Lasch Bash before committing.

Penn State recently has moved quickly with its long-term recruiting plans. The Nittany Lions have received three commitments in the past week to their 2026 recruiting class, including Pennsylvania's top-ranked player in offensive lineman Kevin Brown. Penn State's 2026 recruiting class ranks second nationally and first in the Big Ten, according to the 247Sports Composite.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.