The 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl will likely always be Marcus Freeman’s biggest win over James Franklin, but the Notre Dame head coach continues to stack victories over the Nittany Lions on the recruiting trail. The latest might sting the most because it comes at the most important position on the field.
On Thursday, 2027 four-star quarterback Teddy Jarrard announced his commitment to Notre Dame, choosing the Fighting Irish over Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Georgia.
BREAKING: Elite 2027 QB Teddy Jarrard has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 24, 2025
The 6’3 200 QB from Kennesaw, GA chose the Fighting Irish over Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, & Penn State
He’s the No. 2 QB in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals) ☘️https://t.co/O5DHDzCV9b pic.twitter.com/D6EqEnMbe0
Teddy Jarrard commits to Notre Dame over Penn State and others
The Fighting Irish have assembled the third-ranked class in the country, largely fueled by crucial battles with Penn State. Freeman has plucked five-star Joey O’Brien out of Pennsylvania and earned a commitment from four-star cornerback Khary Adams from Maryland, historically fertile recruiting grounds for Penn State.
The 6-foot-3, Kennesaw, Georgia native attended camp at Penn State early this summer, but was swayed by a recent offer from the Fighting Irish. Freeman’s program offered Jarrard on June 21, 2025, and he committed just over a month later. Jarrard is the 162nd-ranked player in the 2027 class according to 247Sports Composite Rankings and the 14th-ranked quarterback.
While they have three commits, the Nittany Lions have yet to land a quarterback in the 2027 class, and that will be a top priority considering the state of the position in Happy Valley. 2024 four-star Ethan Grunkemeyer is the likely successor to Drew Allar and emerged as his backup for the College Football Playoff after Beau Pribula transferred away.
However, the Nittany Lions still need to amass more depth behind Grunkemeyer. The program was attempting to bring in two QBs in the 2026 class, but lost Peyton Falzone, who was once committed, to Auburn. Troy Huhn is now the only quarterback in Penn State’s 2026 class, and nearly every other highly-rated QB is committed elsewhere.
The top QB target in the 2027 class for Penn State is four-star Peter Bourque, who is the 6th-ranked QB in the country and a top 100 recruit. Bourque has reportedly taken multiple unofficial visits, and the 6-foot-4, 190-pound passer is expected to eventually commit to the Nittany Lions. If he does, it will take the sting out of losing Jerrard, but Franklin and his staff could still look to bring in a second passer in the class.