Penn State makes up for 2027 losses with top 10, 4-star QB commit

Penn State football welcomed another four-star prospect to its 2028 class on Thursday.

Quarterback James Armstrong officially committed to the blue and white on July 2 after the Nittany Lions had taken a lead to land him in his recruitment.

Armstrong is the No. 186 recruit nationally and No. 12 quarterback in his class, per Rivals Industry Ratings. He's also the No. 5 prospect from Pennsylvania.

Leading up to his commitment, Penn State climbed to the top of Armstrong's list. Ryan Snyder and Chad Simmons of On3 and Tyler Calvaruso and Brian Dohn of 247Sports logged their expert predictions in the last couple days of June favoring the Nittany Lions. On the morning of his commitment, Steve Wiltfong submitted his as well just a few hours before Armstrong sealed the deal.

Armstrong also had offers from Pittsburgh, UCLA, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida State, and Wisconsin among others.

Class of 2028, four-star quarterback James Armstrong commits to Penn State

This is the kind of recruiting win head coach Matt Campbell needed. While there wasn't significant competition for Armstrong, Campbell couldn't scrape for a 2028 quarterback come June 2027 like he had in the 2027 cycle. He put his foot down in his recruiting, making it clear that the blue and white want Armstrong under center.

In 2025, Armstrong threw for 2,232 yards and 21 touchdowns. He completed 125-of-207 passing attempts and cut down his interception count by half from his 2024 freshman season. Armstrong added another 799 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground across 136 rushing attempts.

"One reason is just the coaches," Armstrong told Lions247 of why he chose the Nittany Lions. "I feel so connected to them. They feel like family. Another is just the platform Penn State gives me to be successful. All the chips would be in my hand, so I'd either be the hero or be a failure and I'll always bet on myself to win."

In addition to landing a quarterback sooner rather than later, Penn State also landed its second in-state recruit. Its small class of three also includes four-star quarterback Deonte Flemings Jr. from Erie, Pa.

Per Rivals' rankings, Flemings Jr. and Armstrong are top five prospects from Pennsylvania. Campbell didn't do so hot with in-state recruits in the 2027 cycle, and that couldn't turn into a repeating pattern moving forward. Keeping talent from Penn State's backyard in-state is critical. Sure, Campbell proved he can beat out the SEC for prospects in the South, but proximity is a huge advantage when thinking about longevity and the Transfer Portal down the line.

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