National signing day: Local high school football stars join Notre Dame, Missouri, Syracuse and more

The NCAA’s early signing period began Wednesday, which means high school seniors across the nation can sign letters of intent and make their commitments to college football programs official.

In the Philadelphia area, a number of talented recruits in the class of 2026 are heading to FBS programs.

Eight players from the Philly area plan to join coach Fran Brown in Syracuse, while Temple coach K.C. Keeler landed nine local signees in his first full recruiting year. Amid uncertainty at Penn State, which has yet to name its next head coach, it had just two signees — and lost a four-star commitment from Coatesville linebacker Terry Wiggins.

Here’s more about where the area’s prospects are heading:

La Salle College High School’s Joey O’Brien, a two-way star at wide receiver and cornerback, is the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports. He signed his letter of intent to Notre Dame after his commitment in June.

The five-star pledge plans to play both positions for the Fighting Irish, and he’ll have a familiar face joining him next year in South Bend, Ind. His teammate, Grayson McKeogh, a 6-foot-8 left tackle, also made his commitment official after announcing his pledge on the same day as O’Brien.

McKeogh, who began playing offensive tackle just last season, is considered among the best in the nation at his position in the class of 2026.

Explorers quarterback Gavin Sidwar signed with Missouri, a school he’s been committed to since April, and tight end/linebacker John-Patrick Oates decided Wednesday to flip his pledge from James Madison to James Franklin’s Virginia Tech.

St. Joseph’s Prep’s Alex Haskell, a 6-4 defensive tackle, initially planned to play for the Nittany Lions, but the coaching change — and “uncertainty surrounding the program,” he wrote on X — led Haskell to withdraw his pledge.

On Oct. 22, a day after reopening his recruitment, Haskell, who’s ranked No. 10 among all players in the state, announced his commitment to Syracuse. The four-star recruit is one of the top signees in the Orange’s 2026 class.

On Wednesday, Malvern Prep edge rusher Jackson Ford, who’s ranked No. 8 in the state, became the one of the two signees for the Nittany Lions during the early period.

The biggest twist came when Wiggins, ranked No. 4 in the state, flipped his commitment from Penn State to sign with Virginia Tech.

The 6-3, 210-pound linebacker made his pledge to Penn State in May, but told 247Sports on Wednesday that “me and Coach Franklin built a very strong relationship.” He added that when he visited the Hokies, “it felt like Penn State 2.0.”