Locked On College Football · Locked On Podcast Network, Spencer McLaughlin

Penn State Hits RECRUITING SURGE | The Big 3 in 30 College

·30 min·2 clips

Penn State lands two 2027 commits in one day, shocking analysts who predicted a slower recruiting wave.

1. The Big 3 in 30 College, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, covers Penn State recruiting, Notre Dame's QB depth chart, and Michigan basketball's transfer portal activity. 2. Three analysts contribute: Zach Sacco (Locked On Nittany Lions), Tyler Wojcik (Locked On Irish), and Isaiah Hull (Locked On Wolverines); host is unnamed in transcript. 3. The episode's thesis is that all three programs are navigating spring roster uncertainty, each with a different challenge: recruiting pace, position depth, and championship roster retention. 4. Penn State landed two 2027 commits — Landon Blum and Carter Blattner — in a single day, plus a 2028 commit, weeks before summer official visits begin. 5. Sacco notes that Landon Blum had a prior relationship with Campbell from Iowa State recruiting, while Carter Blattner is a New Jersey kid for whom Penn State's brand carries significant regional weight. 6. Both Blum and Blattner committed on their first visit to Penn State, which Sacco argues is evidence that Campbell is accelerating beyond typical relationship-building timelines. 7. Sacco argues Penn State has a structural top-15 recruiting floor because the program's logo carries weight in the Northeast recruiting corridor — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Ohio. 8. He draws a historical contrast, citing James Franklin classes where some of the biggest hits were lower-rated three-star players like Trace McSorley and Grant Haley from the 2014 class. 9. Sacco says Penn State is in contention for a five-star quarterback in the 2027 class, and that even if they miss him, a top-10 QB is within reach as a consolation. 10. He concludes the recruiting surge is ahead of schedule — he had expected the wave to start in summer — and that Blue-White Weekend and summer official visits remain additional opportunities for Campbell. 11. On Notre Dame, Tyler Wojcik says C.J. Carr is the clear starter, but the backup QB is described as one of the biggest open questions for the program heading into the fall. 12. Wojcik names four QBs competing behind Carr: Blake Hebert (returning veteran), Noah Grubbs (mid-year freshman), Teddy Gerrard (reclassified, not yet enrolled), and an unnamed fourth. 13. Marcus Freeman is quoted as saying both backup QBs have shown "the highest of highs and some of the lowest of lows" in spring practice. 14. Wojcik projects Teddy Gerrard will ultimately be the backup this fall despite being technically young enough to currently be a high school junior, because he reclassified and will arrive in late summer. 15. He draws a comparison to Tyler Buckner, a Notre Dame player whose development was affected by losing his senior high school season to COVID, as a cautionary note about early enrollees. 16. At running back, Aeneas Williams is the starter but limited by offseason elbow surgery; Nolan James Jr. is cited as the clear RB2 after an impressive spring, with Javion Osborne missing all of spring due to injury. 17. Michigan basketball's first transfer portal addition after winning the national championship is JP Estrella, a 6'11" power forward from Tennessee who averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds. 18. Isaiah Hull notes Michigan played against Estrella in the Elite Eight and held him to seven points, but describes him as a quality addition despite inconsistent output — citing a 22-point game against South Carolina and a 20-point game against Vanderbilt. 19. Fans of Penn State, Notre Dame, and Michigan who follow program-level spring developments and roster construction will find this episode directly useful. 20. Listeners seeking national college football coverage, game analysis, or multi-team breakdowns beyond these three programs will find this show narrowly focused.

As heard by us

Penn State recruiting, Notre Dame quarterback depth, and Michigan portal movement get a brisk, practical look.

This episode opens with Penn State's recruiting surge as the immediate spark, then widens into a tidy tour of college football pressure points: who is climbing, who is exposed, and what shifts before the games carry real weight.

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Need Penn State, Notre Dame, and Michigan sorted in one pass?

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