Where does Penn State's 2027 class now rank following Aiden Gibson commitment?

Penn State picked up commitment No. 16 in its Class of 2027 Tuesday evening with the addition of four-star running back Aiden Gibson.

A 6-foot-1, 215-pound tailback from Woodruff, S.C., Gibson was only offered by Penn State just over 100 days ago. However, position coach Savon Huggins and the entire staff still beat out over two dozen additional schools, most notably Louisville, North Carolina, Rutgers and South Carolina.

A consensus four-star prospect by all three major sites, Gibson is ranked No. 258 in the Industry Rankings, making him the fifth-ranked player in Penn State’s class. He’s also the 17th-ranked running back.

With just seven of Penn State’s 16 commits currently counting in Rivals’ Team Rankings – more on that below – the Nittany Lions remain at No. 14 in the 2027 class. The overall class score climbed from 90.129 to 90.503. Texas remains just ahead of PSU at No. 13 with a 90.715.

Understanding the Rivals Team Rankings

For those unfamiliar with Rivals’ Team Rankings, there are two major differences compared to other sites that you need to know.

1) We use the Industry Rankings, which puts together all three major recruiting sites – Rivals, 247 and ESPN – to find a cumulative score for each prospect. It’s not just based on Rivals’ rankings.

2) Rivals’ Team Recruiting Rankings solves the problem of varying class sizes throughout a recruiting cycle by totaling the highest-rated commitments for each team based on a rolling average of current total commitments among Power Four schools. That average is currently seven.

That second point is a major difference between Rivals and 247Sports, with Rivals’ rankings intended to give fans a more accurate projection throughout the cycle of where a particular class is on pace to finish.

Fans can learn more about Rivals’ Team Recruiting Rankings here.

Around the Big Ten

Penn State held firm at fifth overall in the Big Ten recruiting rankings.

Last month, USC’s 2027 class surpassed Ohio State for the top spot in the conference. That remains the case, with the Trojans ranked No. 4 overall nationally. Lincoln Riley and his staff have earned 13 commitments, including eight players who rank inside the Top 200 in the Industry Rankings. That includes former Penn State target DE Mekai Brown.

Ohio State remains second in the conference and sixth overall nationally. The Buckeyes have totaled 11 commitments to this point, including two five-star players – DE David Jacobs and WR Jamier Brown – and seven four-star prospects.

You’ll then find two more West Coast programs ahead of Penn State. Oregon, at No. 9 overall and fourth in the conference, shouldn’t be a surprise. The Ducks have totaled 13 commitments in the class, 11 of whom hold a four-star rating.

However, seeing UCLA at No. 11 overall and fourth in the Big Ten is a bit m. Since taking over the program, PA native Bob Chesney has totaled 19 commitments, including nine four-star prospects. That’s more than the Bruins signed in the past four classes combined. Cornerback Juju Johnson and defensive lineman George Toia both rank among the Top 100 nationally.