Georgia football and Kirby Smart just made things very interesting for the No. 1 running back in the country. That player is Kemon Spell, who is a five-star running back and the No. 8 overall player in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Spell has been committed to Penn State since August of 2024, and considering he is from Pennsylvania it is going to be extremely difficult to sway him away from the Nittany Lions. But the Bulldogs just offered him a scholarship which is going to give him a lot to think about after Penn State's recent struggles.
Georgia offered ❤️ @KirbySmartUGA @DHill39 @wpialsportsnews @PA_TodaySports @McKTigersFB #Blessed pic.twitter.com/5ZHAbbAqst
— Kemon spell (@KemonJones9) October 8, 2025
Georgia gives nation's No. 1 RB something to think about
As mentioned, Spell has been committed to Penn State for a little over a year now. The Nittany Lions are the premier football program in the Northeast, so it isn't surprising that he chose to stay local and play for Penn State. But Penn State has fallen on hard times recently, and that could be the thing that foces Spell to think twice about his college decision.
Penn State entered the 2025 season as the No. 2 team in the country. The expectations were for them to compete for a Big Ten and National Championship after losing in the Big Ten title game and making the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. But midway through the 2025 season, Penn State isn't even in the playoff picture nor do they stand much of a chance to play for a Big Ten Championship either.
Two weeks ago Penn State lost in overtime to Oregon at home. That by no means is a bad loss, but what happened next was as bad as it gets. This past Saturday Penn State traveled west to face a winless UCLA team, who they ended up losing to 42-37.
This moved Penn State outside of the AP Poll's top 25 rankings, which no one ever expected at the start of this season. This free fall has led Penn State fans to call for head coach James Franklin to be fired, which could happen if he doesn't turn this season around.
Georgia gives Kemon Spell a new option
So the dilemma for Spell is quite obvious. Does he want to stay home and play for a failing program who might lose their head coach? Or would he rather head south and play for Georgia who is one of the best programs in the country?
Spell is a member of the 2027 recruiting class, so he has time to make up his mind. But Georgia just gave him an out if he wants to ditch Penn State, and that is something that is worth monitoring over the next year.