The Penn State Nittany Lions are not having the first season they wanted to have under Matt Campbell.
Their recruiting class for next year just took a hit, too.
This was supposed to be a calm weekend for the Nittany Lions. They lost to Michigan on Oct. 17, but Oct. 24 marked a bye week, a chance for Penn State to reset and prepare for the stretch run.
They’re 3-4 on the season, and 0-4 in the Big Ten, but their final five games of the regular season are all winnable.
They’ll host Purdue on Halloween. They then go to Washington, host Minnesota, host Rutgers and then play at Maryland to close out the regular season.
That’s not a guarantee of great things, but there’s a solid chance for Campbell’s crew to become bowl-eligible by winning three out of five, at least, to close the year.
But this bye week ended up including a negative for Penn State, too, when a four-star recruit flipped to a Big Ten rival.
Penn State Loses 4-Star Recruit to Rival
On Sunday, Blake Betton flipped from Penn State to Wisconsin.
The four-star linebacker had originally committed to Penn State in April. On3 Sports reported the flip on Sunday afternoon.
Betton is a physically impressive linebacker who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. He plays at Shakopee High School in Minnesota.
On3 Sports writes that he remains them of Pete Werner, a “high school safety who transitioned toward the line of scrimmage, ultimately becoming a full-time linebacker.” Werner went to Ohio State and then was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, for whom he now starts — so that’s an impressive comparison for Betton.
Penn State has long been considered “Linebacker U,” so losing a rangy linebacker like Betton is a bad sign for how recruits are now viewing the program. A rough first season under Campbell can’t have helped the cause.
Betton had also been offered by Iowa State, Campbell’s former program. His offer list also includes Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota.
In the Class of 2027, a flip in October of Betton’s senior year seems likely to stand firm.
Another Penn State Loss
This is the second flip away from Penn State in the past week.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the Nittay Lions lost quarterback commit Will Wood.
Wood flipped to Boston College. The recruit from Xaverian Brothers in Massachusetts is a three-star prospect according to 247 Sports.
Penn State Loses 4-Star Recruit in Flip to Big Ten Rival