Penn State adds athlete Josiah Zayas to 2026 class

Penn State head coach Matt Campbell and his staff have added New Jersey athlete Josiah Zayas to their Class of 2026. His announcement follows an official visit to State College this past weekend.

A former Iowa State signee, Zayas is listed as a cornerback by Rivals but could potentially play wide receiver for the Nittany Lions. After three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, Zayas transferred to Piscataway Twp. ahead of his senior season. Over the past few seasons, he totaled 93 receptions for 1,784 yards and 26 touchdowns at receiver. Zayas also had 67 tackles, five tackles for loss and nine interceptions playing defensive back.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Zayas camped at Penn State as a wide receiver in the summer of 2024, running a 4.6-second 40 ahead of his junior season. He then attended the game against Ohio State in November 2024 but never earned an offer from the previous staff.

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Zayas totaled eight scholarship offers before committing to Iowa State this past July. He committed to Syracuse in March, only to reopen his recruitment two months later. Zayas then took official visits to East Carolina and Iowa State this summer. He’s expected to enroll at Penn State in January.

After signing just two players in December, Penn State is now up to 12 commitments in the 2026 class. Prior to Zayas, former Iowa State signee Amarion Jackson announced his commitment on Jan. 3. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Nebraska native is listed as a wide receiver by Rivals but is expected to play safety at Penn State.

Penn State’s 2026 class has five offensive commits and six defensive, plus specialist Lucas Tenbrock. So far, two other 2026 prospects have official visits locked in. Iowa Western defensive tackle Andy Burburija and Detroit Central Catholic wide receiver Samson Gash are both locked in for Jan. 23-25.