7/31/2024 football Edit

2026 Three-Star DE Daniel Jennings commits to Penn State Football

Marty Leap • Happy Valley Insider

Staff Writer

Staff writer for Happy Valley Insider

Following a big weekend that saw Penn State land wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers and borderline five-star offensive lineman Kevin Brown, the Nittany Lions have struck again in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Three-star West Virginia defensive end Daniel Jennings has made the call for Penn State, joining Rogers, Brown, quarterback Troy Huhn, and running back Messiah Mickens.

"I chose Penn State because of the love all the coaches showed me since day one," Jennings told Rivals. "Also a degree from Penn State is huge and I want to play for coach (James) Franklin and I believe coach (Deion) Barnes can help me get to the league."

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Jennings's commitment to Penn State comes on the heels of visiting State College for the Lasch Bash this past weekend. With the way the new recruiting calendar will be set up this was the final July Lasch Bash, at least for now, and has already become one of the most successful in producing immediate/quick commitments.

"It was great," said Jennings. "I had a lot of fun. We ate good, went to a pool party and spent a lot of time with coach Barnes. He took me around the campus for a tour, then I got to compete at the camp later that evening. My parents had a chance to spend more time with Coach Franklin too."

The Virginia native, now attending school in West Virginia chose the Nittany Lions over offers from the in-state Mountaineers, Illinois, and UNLV. His visit to Penn State this past weekend was his third since being offered during a visit in March, including having camped for the staff in June.

Since Jennings has been on campus four times this year including having camped in June, the staff has been able to get accurate measurables and data on Jennings. With this, Jennings climbed up the staff's 2026 defensive end board and is now the first defensive lineman to join the class.

Jennings plays stand up defensive end in high school and will need to learn to play with his hand in the dirt, but the tools are certainly there to be a good EDGE rusher at the collegiate level. Jennings is fast and explosive off the ball. Jennings needs to play with a lower pad level when he tackles, but he is a violent, physical tackler. Jennings always flashes a very high motor on film.

Competition will always be a question in West Virginia, but he had a strong junior campaign at Graham High School in Virginia. If he plays well in WV, it would not be surprising to see Jennings earn a ratings boost. There is a lot to like about the potential of Jennings at defensive end.