Penn State finally got its new head coach in Matt Campbell, who has officially arrived in Happy Valley after a 58-day search. Campbell didn’t coach the Nittany Lions on Saturday, but watched his new team earn a 22-10 win over Clemson in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
The Nittany Lions broke the game open in the fourth quarter to seal the win, closing the season on a four-game winning streak. The postgame momentum also extended to recruiting, as Penn State added a key commitment to its 2026 class.
Matt Campbell Delivers Early Recruiting Win as Penn State Flips 2026 WR From CFP Program
Campbell got a commitment from former James Madison signee Ben Whitver on Saturday. Whitver originally committed to JMU in June, choosing the Dukes over a long list of offers that included Buffalo, Old Dominion, Charlotte, Delaware, East Carolina, Liberty, Massachusetts, Penn State, and UNLV.
However, Whitver reversed course after being granted his release when head coach Bob Chesney departed for UCLA. James Madison wrapped up a historic 2025 season with a 12-2 record, winning the Sun Belt Conference title and earning the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff berth.
The Dukes’ season ended with a 51-34 first-round CFP loss to Oregon on Dec. 20
With Whitver’s decommitment, JMU is left with 19 commits in the 2026 class. Meanwhile, Penn State has 10 committed players in the cycle, an improvement as the Nittany Lions endured several decommitments following James Franklin’s firing and his subsequent move to Virginia Tech.
Whitver attends Powhatan High School in Virginia. According to the Rivals Industry Rankings, he is the No. 30-ranked player in the state of Virginia and No. 177 among all wide receivers in the 2026 class
Whitver is familiar with State College, having visited the Nittany Lions’ campus four times over five months last year and also played alongside current Penn State tight end Matt Henderson during his first three years of high school, and is eager to join Campbell’s program.
“To be honest with you, it’s always been one of my dream schools,” Whitver said (via On3/Rivals). “It’s surreal to have this opportunity to go there and play the sport that I love.
Whitver put up some magnificent performances this season, finishing with 58 receptions for 961 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. As a junior, he totaled 52 receptions for 1,004 yards and 12 scores.
Whitver finished his high school career third all-time in Virginia with 209 receptions, highlighted by a 14-catch, 257-yard, two-touchdown performance in Powhatan’s 50-33 loss to Cosby last month. He is also the state’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,501 and has 35 career touchdown receptions.
Whitver’s commitment provides a big boost to Penn State’s 2026 class, which landed only two signees during the early signing period. The Nittany Lions have added momentum in the last few weeks, bringing in offensive linemen Pete Eglitis and Mason Bandhauer on Dec. 23, followed by linebacker Keian Kaiser the next day.
Four-star edge rusher Jackson Ford and quarterback Peyton Falzone currently headline Penn State’s 2026 class, and Whitver stands as the lone wide receiver commitment for the Nittany Lions in this cycle so far.
