Notre Dame Sweeps Penn State in Recruiting! — Here’s Why It Happened

Penn State football just suffered a recruiting gut punch — losing four top 2026 prospects, including Joey O’Brien, Khary Adams, Luke Wafle, and Grayson McKeogh. Three went to Notre Dame. One went to USC. So… what happened? In this episode, host Zach Seyko breaks down why Penn State was never really in it for O’Brien, how NIL shaped the outcome for Wafle and McKeogh, why this is less about a "collapse" and more about roster strategy, and how James Franklin’s staff is all-in on winning a national title in 2025.

Is it a setback? Yes.

Is it part of a bigger plan? Also yes.

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00:00 – Intro: Penn State’s Gut Punch on the Trail

01:20 – 4 Targets Lost: O’Brien, Adams, McHugh, Wafle

03:30 – Why Joey O’Brien Was Never Truly Coming

05:00 – Khary Adams: A Miss, But Understandable

06:45 – Explaining Luke Wafle & Grayson McKeogh

08:30 – USC and Ohio State: NIL Powerhouses

10:50 – What Happened to the PSU-Wafle Family Ties?

12:00 – Why D-Linemen Still Should Pick Penn State

13:45 – PSU’s Development Pitch No Longer Enough?

15:30 – Where PSU Actually Spent NIL Money

17:30 – Did Penn State Sacrifice 2026 for 2025 Glory?

19:30 – Drew Allar, Singleton, Allen: $3M+ Core

21:00 – Hope for 2027: Already Loading Up

23:00 – Why There’s No Panic Inside the Building

25:00 – Final Thoughts: A Gut Punch, Not a Collapse