Penn State Cut Ties With First Recruit Of Matt Campbell Era Over NIL Dispute

Just three months back, Penn State’s recruiting class was almost empty since the previous head coach, James Franklin, flipped several players to Virginia Tech. That’s when a little-known, 3-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, trusted Matt Campbell’s development and sealed his commitment to Penn State, becoming the first player to do so for the new head coach. Sadly, that jubilance has an expiry date.

As per Penn State insider Sean Fitz, the Happy Valley program has decided to “part ways” with Semajay Robinson. The decision comes after Matt Campbell’s camp refused to match Virginia’s NIL offer for Semajay Robinson, where the 3-star cornerback has now landed. PSU’s prominent recruiting X account, ‘PSU recruiting,’ also reported that the NIL disagreement was the primary reason for Semajay’s flip to Virginia.

“Matt Campbell and the staff decided to drop Semajay Robinson. PSU chose not to match Virginia NIL offer,” the account reported on X. “At the end of the day, a CFB program is now a business, so it’s smart not to overpay players you don’t think are worth certain values.”

Matt Campbell and the staff decided to drop Semajay Robinson. PSU chose not to match Virginia NIL offer.

At the end of the day a CFB program is now a business so it’s smart not to overpay players you don’t think are worth certain values pic.twitter.com/kyyAmUlWhj

— PSU Recruiting (@PSUNationRec) June 9, 2026

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