Penn State lands commitment from 3-star cornerback

Class of 2026 cornerback Jaziel Hart committed to Penn State on Thursday afternoon. He’s a three-star prospect and the No. 44 corner nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Hart committed on a YouTube livestream with On3, feigning a Michigan hat before officially announcing his Penn State pledge.

Hailing from the North Cross School in Roanoke, Va., Hart joins as Penn State’s 17th commit in the cycle. James Franklin’s group ranked fifth nationally heading into the day, even after top defensive end prospect Daniel Jennings reclassified to join the 2025 roster.

Hart had a top five of Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The timing of his commitment is a bit curious, though, as he was set to begin taking official visits this weekend with the Hokies, followed by Penn State, Tennessee and Michigan. The pitch from cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and James Franklin must have been strong enough to make him speed up the process.

It’s not clear yet whether Hart still plans to take his scheduled official visits.

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry, now the Virginia Tech head coach, pushed hard for Hart’s services. The corner was in Blacksburg seven times, according to On3, the most of any program he visited. But ultimately, Pry’s old stomping grounds were too much to overcome.

At 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, Hart is the fifth defensive back committed in this cycle for Penn State. He joins safeties Matt Sieg (Fort Cherry) and Darrell Carey, corner Julian Peterson and athlete David Davis (Imani Christian) thus far.

Penn State also continues to have its eyes on some other big fish in the secondary, including La Salle (Pa.) safety Joey O’Brien and Loyola Blakefield (Md.) corner Khary Adams, who both visited last weekend.