In a shocking surprise, one of Penn State’s 2026 quarterback commits flipped their pledge, as 4-star Peyton Falzone announced he’ll be taking his talents to Auburn.
Here’s what this means for the present and future state of the position.
Current room
Drew Allar is entering his third year as a starter with a shot to be the best quarterback in all of college football and potentially the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if he reaches his full potential.
He will exhaust his eligibility after this season, leaving questions as to where the room goes from there.
Behind him is redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer and redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik, who are both capable Power Four starters. There’s a possibility whoever doesn’t win the backup job this year opts for the transfer portal.
There’s also a chance that both stay but regardless of the outcome, the chance that one transfers will always be hanging in the air.
Quarterback Peyton Falzone throws the ball at the Elite 11 football camp at the State College Area High School South Track Facility on Sunday, May 18, 2025 in State College, Pa.
Outside of the aforementioned duo is 3-star freshman Bekkem Krtiza and walk-on Jack Lambert.
Kritza’s a long way from seeing the field, needing to do tons of work physically to enhance his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame, but he may be thrusted into an elevated spot on the depth chart if Grunkemeyer or Smolik go portaling.
Lambert is potentially an option, but with Smolik hurt, and Beau Pribula entering the transfer portal before the first round of the College Football Playoff, James Franklin made no mention of if Lambert would take over the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind Grunkemeyer.
Recruiting
As it currently stands, 4-star Troy Huhn’s the lone quarterback on board in Penn State’s 2026 class. He ranks as the No. 270 player nationally, No. 28 in California and No. 20 overall quarterback via the 247Sports composite rankings, and recently participated in the Elite 11 finals in Los Angeles.
If Falzone and Huhn both made it to National Signing Day, it would’ve made it the first time since 2022 where Penn State boasted a two-quarterback class, with the previous one being Allar and Pribula.
Quarterback Troy Huhn stands at the Elite 11 football camp at the State College Area High School South Track Facility on Sunday, May 18, 2025 in State College, Pa.
There’s still time for Penn State to get another gunslinger on board, though it becomes harder due to the time of year with most players at the position committed elsewhere. An uncommitted option is 3-star Semaj Beals, who plays for in-state Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia. He has been to campus three times since picking up an offer in May 2023.
The other option could be to try and flip a quarterback, which could be more difficult. Last season, Penn State had 4-star Matt Zollers, the No. 93 player nationally, No. 9 quarterback and No. 2 player in Pennsylvania on campus for the Ohio State game while he was committed to Missouri.
The Nittany Lions also hosted 4-star Bryce Baker, the No. 86 player nationally, No. 8 quarterback and No. 4 player in North Carolina, during the Maryland game while he was committed to the in-state Tar Heels.
A player that Penn State can look into is another Missorui commit in 4-star Gavin Sidwar, who plays for in-state La Salle College High School. Penn State never offered, but he has been to campus for an unofficial visit and plays on the same 7-on-7 team as 2026 running back commit Messiah Mickens.
La Salle has proven to be a school the Nittany Lions recruit, with Abdul Carter being the most recent. They also had 4-star athlete Joey O’Brien and 4-star offensive tackle Grayson McKeough as priority targets, but both committed to Notre Dame.
There’s a chance that Falzone also comes back around, as prior to going to Auburn, he had been committed to Virginia Tech before he ended up at Penn State. It’s a long shot, but considering he’s an in-state kid from Nazareth, there’s a possibility he ends up back on campus due to the proximity to Happy Valley.
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