Penn State a strong contender for 4-star WR from Class of 2028

Recruiting may not be on most people’s minds with the college football season set to begin in about five more weeks, but Matt Campbell and his staff don’t have the luxury of putting it on the mental back burner. They’ve done a tremendous job of rebuilding Penn State’s 2027 recruiting class, while also keeping their eyes further towards the future.

The Nittany Lions already have a top-three Class of 2028 and now they could be getting their hands on another intriguing prospect from that group. Penn State has been recruiting four-star wide receiver Owen Johnson for much of this year, and in a recent interview with NittanyCentral, he spoke about their chances of landing him.

“Penn State definitely has my attention,” is how Johnson began his response when asked about which teams he was focused on.  Some of the other schools the team will be battling for Johnson’s commitment are Nebraska, Notre Dame, and UCLA, but he confirmed that the Nittany Lions are in his top five.

The team has a serious need for wide receivers, with the position seriously lacking in the next two recruiting classes. They did have one of the best pass catchers in next year’s group of prospects, four-star receiver Khalil Taylor, but Penn State was unable to land him a second time.

Perhaps the most important piece of information when it comes to Johnson is that he hails from Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. The Blue and White have had a difficult time keeping recruits in-state, but they have a great opportunity to change their fortunes here. Johnson is clearly keen on playing for the team and becoming one of the crown jewels of a loaded 2028 class — now the onus is on Penn State to make a commitment worth his while.

There is a large group of prospects headed to Beaver Stadium in October for a highly-anticipated matchup against the USC Trojans. That game is widely expected to be named a White Out game for Penn State, which can be a great opportunity to show the prospects the crazed fanbase they’ll be playing for and the unbelievable environment they have a chance to step into.

If they are serious about landing Johnson then there is a good chance that he’s among the players visiting for the USC game. There is a long way to go before the Pennsylvania native makes his decision, but Penn State certainly seems to be in the driver’s seat right now.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State a strong contender for 4-star WR from Class of 2028