Top 20 DE with Franklin ties projected to Penn State football

Just when it seemed like the dust was starting to settle for Penn State football’s 2025 recruiting class, more predictions have been made. The Nittany Lions now appears to be in the driving seat of top-20 pick Jayden Woods, who shares a connection with head coach James Franklin. Recruiting experts from On3 and Rivals have made predictions that Woods will end up in Happy Valley.

Jayden Woods is a 6-3, 235-pound four-star edge rusher from Shawnee (Kansas). He has been traveling around the country on official visits for the past month. He could see Wisconsin (May 31), Penn State (June 7), Purdue (June 14) and Tennessee (June 21). Now that all his visits are over, he can start his decision-making process.

On Wednesday morning, On3’s Steve Wilfong and Ryan Snyder posted two new RPM predictions that Woods will commit to Penn State. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Woods is a top 5 prospect in Kansas and a top 20 edge rusher (No. 201 nationally).

Jayden’s father Justin Woods played football for Kansas State from 2007 to 2008. That overlapped with James Franklin and his time with the Wildcats. Franklin was the offensive coordinator at Kansas State from 2006 to 2007. Now Justin’s son is expected to play under Franklin at Happy Valley.

Last minute events for DB 2025

Credit: Grace Carella // Basic Blues Nation, 2023.

The Nittany Lions are expected to land Brandon Finney on Tuesday. Multiple predictions were made that the DB recruiting class of 2025 would commit to Penn State football. However, Finney decided to commit to the Oregon Ducks instead.

On3 lists Finney as the No. 1 ATH in Maryland. He is the No. 3 prospect in the state and a top-5 athlete in the country (No. 131 nationally). According to 247Sports, football isn’t the only sport in which Finney excels. He has shown how fast he is in athletics. During his junior season, Finney qualified for the Maryland A state finals in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

As the Nittany Lions move toward the next prospect as they close in on Jayden Woods, they are looking to grow and carry the No. 14 2025 recruiting class nationally, according to On3.

Thanks for reading Basic Blues Nation! Follow us on all our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube) and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email [email protected] or message us on our social media.