California four-star quarterback Troy Huhn chose the Nittany Lions back in June of 2024, and less than a year later he has company in Penn State’s 2026 high school recruiting class. On Friday, Penn State landed a commitment from in-state four-star QB Peyton Falzone.
James Franklin lands 4-star 2026 QB Peyton Falzone
The two players are separated by just 24 spots in 247Sports Composite Rankings with Falzone at No. 241 and Huhn at No. 265, but both are necessary for a healthy roster construction in the transfer portal era.
Succession plans used to be so clear in college football, but now it’s almost impossible to develop a young QB in the shadows without him darting off for a starting job elsewhere. That’s not to take a veiled shot at Beau Pribula, who departed Penn State before the Nittany Lion’s College Football Playoff run to secure a starting job at Missouri because had Pribula waited, he would’ve only had one season to start after Drew Allar left for the NFL.
No, it’s to say that any QB, whether they have to wait one year or three for a chance to see the field full-time, is difficult to keep in town. There are simply too many starting opportunities and too much money exchanging hands for quarterbacks, beyond a head coach, the most coveted assets in college sports.
After 2025, Allar will be out of eligibility and head to the NFL. That will leave Jaxson Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer to battle for the starting job. The loser is likely to transfer elsewhere for reps, potentially leaving the Nittany Lions dangerously thin at the most important position with either Smolik or Grunkemeyer ahead of 2025 three-star Bekkem Kritza and walk-on Jack Lambert.
Eventually, Huhn, Falzone, or both will transfer away from Happy Valley, that’s the reality of the sport. But for now, the Nittany Lions need quarterback depth and it’s almost impossible to convince a transfer to come be a backup, so Franklin must take at least two QBs in the 2026 class, and probably another in 2027.
Falzone is a talented thrower with prototypical size, he’d be a worthy addition to almost any recruiting class in the country, but especially considering how the transfer portal can empty out a QB room in a single offseason, he’s more important than ever.