Irish Kicker Commits to Penn State Football

Penn State football has added an international specialist to its 2026 recruiting class.

Adam McCann-Gibbs, a kicker from Newry, Northern Ireland, committed to the Nittany Lions on Saturday.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is rated the No. 22 place kicker and No. 36 punter for the current recruiting cycle, according to Kohl’s Kicking, which hosts camps and evaluates kicker and punter prospects.

“McCann-Gibbs demonstrates D1 talent and has a lot of upside as a kicker who can also punt,” Kohl’s Kicking wrote. “McCann-Gibbs is very mature for his age and should be heavily recruited in the coming months!”

Coach James Franklin’s staff does not often sign kicking specialists on scholarship as freshman. The last to go to Penn State on scholarship out of high school was punter Alex Bachetta in 2022, who later transferred out of the program, and the last placekicker was in 2021 with Sander Sahaydak, who left the team this offseason after winning then relinquishing the starting job each of the past two seasons.

McCann-Gibbs committed to Penn State “after participating in a specialist camp under the close watch of special teams coordinator Justin Lustig earlier in June,” according to 247Sports.

Penn State’s current placekicking depth includes returning starter Ryan Barker, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, and Matthew Parker, a preferred walk-on freshman this season.

The Nittany Lions’ 2026 recruiting class is now 23 players deep and is ranked No. 8 in the nation by 247.