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Matt Campbell whiffs on 4-star quarterback flip after a bye week push

Penn State remains quarterback-less in its 2027 class.
BySydney Ciano
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Oct 17, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Oct 17, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell spent the Week 8 bye looking to beef up his Class of 2027, which is ranked 20th in the country with 21 commits.

One prime target Campbell hoped to flip was four-star quarterback Braylen Warren.

The Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) previously had three-star passer Will Wood committed, but he flipped to Boston College. With four-star James Armstrong coming in with the 2028 class as of now and Alex Manske slated to succede Rocco Becht after this season, the room for Wood in that quarterback room was questionable.

However, Penn State can't rely on Manske alone and it needs a solid quarterback coming in next season. Sure, Campbell can hit the Transfer Portal, but he can't rely on that forever. At some point, recruiting has to get stronger in Happy Valley.

Over the bye week, it wasn't so successful.

Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported Tuesday afternoon that Warren has shut down his recruitment and will sign with Missouri. He's been committed to the Tigers since Dec. 4, 2025.

Four-star quarterback Braylen Warren shuts down recruitment and sticks with Missouri

Warren wasn't going to be cheap for Campbell to flip, even with a wide open quarterback spot available on his 2027 class roster.

The Omaha Westside quarterback is on a nine-game win streak with zero losses on the season. He's completed 97 of his 159 pass attempts for 1,773 yards and 23 touchdowns, according to his MaxPreps stats. Warren averages 18.3 yards per completion, 197 passing yards per game, and has a 0.610 completion percentage on the year. He's less than 100 passing yards away from hitting his junior season total (1,847 in 12 contests).

He's the No. 18 quarterback in the class, per 247Sports Composite rankings and third-ranked athlete out of Nebraska behind five-star quarterback Trae Taylor and four-star safety Tory Pittman III. Both Taylor and Pittman committed to Nebraska.

In comparison to other Power Four programs around the country, the question of whether Campbell and Co. are willing to spend for the right talent remains. The Nittany Lions head into the Early Signing Period still without a 2027 quarterback, and relying on culture and development alone isn't the way to go clearly.

Campbell's had great initiative with this last ditch effort to flip Warren, one that's admirable considering the offer wouldn't be there.

Quarterback isn't the biggest problem on this Penn State roster, but it's also not entirely secure. Manske has yet to prove himself on game days due to Campbell's unwavering loyalty to Becht, and a handful of the offensive talent won't be there for Manske to work with after this season, like wideout Chase Sowell and tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle.

Manske might have the right leadership qualities and attitude to follow up Becht, but results will become much more important for the blue and white in year two under Campbell.

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