Penn State Wins Commitment From Philadelphia 4-Star Linebacker

Cameron Smith, who plays at St. Joseph's Prep, flips to Penn State after initially committing to Duke.

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

Penn State coach James Franklin made his "#WeAre...Better" post on social media Thursday to indicate a recruiting commitment. This one was a bit different. Franklin was celebrating a flip, as 4-star linebacker Cameron Smith announced he would join Penn State's 2025 recruiting class.

Smith, a 4-star linebacker from Philadelphia, initially committed to Duke and head coach Manny Diaz in February. However, Penn State continued to recruit the standout from Pennsylvania power St. Joseph's Prep, welcoming him for an unofficial visit at the Lasch Bash event in July. On Thursday, Smith made the switch.

"I appreciate the opportunity that the coaches at Duke have given me and I still have strong feelings about them but in the end I've decided to flip to Penn State as I believe it's the spot most suited for me," Smith wrote in a post on X.

Next Chapter #WeAre 🦁 pic.twitter.com/fIG8ScJ8Bs

— Cam Smith (@camduhhgoat) August 8, 2024

Franklin wasn't necessarily celebrating flipping a commitment from Diaz, his former defensive coordinator who became Duke's head coach in December. More likely, he was pleased to reclaim some recruiting ground at St. Joseph's Prep, the Pennsylvania powerhouse that has produced players such as Marvin Harrison Jr., D'Andre Swift and Kyle McCord. If he signs his Letter of Intent in December, Smith would be the first Penn State player from St. Joseph's Prep since John Reid in 2015.

Smith was a second-team all-Philadelphia Catholic League selection in the Red Division last season, when St. Joseph's Prep won its second consecutive Pennsylvania Class 6A title. He is the ninth-ranked player in Pennsylvania, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 30 linebacker nationally.

Smith also has offers from Michigan, Pitt, Texas A&M and West Virginia, among others. His commitment to Penn State represents an upward move for the Nittany Lions in Pennsylvania. Penn State now has commitments from four of the state's top-10 players for the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, after losing some earlier recruiting battles to Missouri, Michigan and Ohio State.

With 24 commitments, Penn State's 2025 recruiting class ranks 14th nationally, and third in the Big Ten, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Penn State gets first commit of 2027 recruiting class

Penn State is working on three recruiting classes simultaneously, as the first commit of 2027 has arrived. On Aug. 2, running back Kemon Spell became the first player to commit to Penn State football's 2027 recruiting class, doing so before beginning his sophomore season at McKeesport High in western Pennsylvania.

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.

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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.