Penn State football may have the top quarterback recruiting class in the nation.
Troy Huhn and Peyton Falzone are acclaimed Nittany Lion teammates of the future — two quarterbacks leading the building of what could be coach James Franklin’s most highly-regarded recruiting class.
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They are driving Penn State’s ever-growing 2026 class that ranks as high as fourth nationally by the major industry sites, such as 247Sports, seven months before signing day. (PSU’s highest recruiting finish is sixth under Franklin).
It’s a class featuring high-end talent sprinkled across position groups that includes two sets of prized teammates — offensive tackle Kevin Brown and running back Messiah Mickens from Harrisburg High and safety Darrell Casey and receiver Lavar Keys from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland.
A Penn State class with multiple quarterbacks for the first time in four years, since senior Drew Allar and Central York’s Beau Pribula. They stayed together for nearly three seasons until Pribula transferred to Missouri last December.
So how will things work this time? Falzone and Huhn are both big-bodied quarterbacks who project as future Power Four starters.
Peyton Falzone visits OSU the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 38-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in an NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
Falzone (6-foot-5, 208 pounds) is the better runner and more esteemed athlete from Nazareth, Pa., a couple of hours from State College.
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Huhn (6-4, 205) is the more polished passer who’s grown up in San Marcos, California. He was recently invited to this year’s prestigious Under Armour All-American Game following a standout camp performance in Los Angeles.
For now, Penn State is the only school with two top 15 quarterback recruits — Falzone is No. 11 and Huhn is No. 14, according to 247Sports.
“You’d like those guys to have different skill sets, that plays a factor into it,” Franklin told reporters in April about landing two quarterbacks in the same class. “At the end of the day we want to make sure we have as much competition at every position as we possibly can. I think we all have seen what’s going on in college football with the transfer portal, that we want to be aggressive (recruiting) that position.”
Penn State football quarterbacks: Troy Huhn vs. Peyton Falzone
Huhn recently flew across country to visit Penn State for spring practice and will join Falzone on campus this weekend for the Elite 11 Regional camp.
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Huhn verbally committed to Penn State last June (10 months before Falzone) and may trend upwards in national rankings with increased exposure, according to Ryan Snyder, a recruiting analyst with On3’s Blue-White Illustrated site.
“Has a prototype 6-4 frame with plenty of room to add good weight,” 247Sports analyst Greg Biggins wrote about Huhn in a winter scouting report. “May not wow you with arm strength but throws with very good anticipation. Can get it out early and does a nice job of throwing guys open.
“Plays with clean feet in the pocket and displays the ability under center to work play-action. Not a great athlete but moves well in designed rollouts. Can clear the pocket and make accurate throws down the field. As he physically matures and adds some strength and bulk, expect to see a jump in arm strength …”
Falzone, meanwhile, has been lauded more for his outstanding athleticism, from his time starring in lacrosse, basketball and swimming to his continued track and field prowess — all while mastering the finer points of playing quarterback.
Falzone’s speed is impressive, particularly for his size. He ran 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash last summer and was hand-timed this spring at 10.68 seconds in the 100 meters. He also qualified for the PIAA Championships last year in the 300-meter hurdles.
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“He has a rocket of an arm. The potential is incredible,” Snyder said. “The main thing with Peyton, he’s a special, special athlete. The (testing) numbers he put up at Penn State last year for a kid his size? … He just needs to be refined. That’s what makes him special.”
Falzone’s quarterback skillset has improved significantly, too, according to his father and high school coach Tom Falzone. He’s worked the past five months with Ohio quarterback coach Brad Maendler, who also trains Allar and Penn State redshirt freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer.
“The ball’s coming out (of his hand) different now,” Tom Falzone said of his son. “I was a receiver (in college) and I (recently) had to buy my first pair of receivers’ gloves because he was punishing my hands. His velocity is completely different now. His mechanics are different now. It’s like a golf swing, it takes time and repetition.”
It’s been quite a recruiting ride for Falzone, who first verbally committed to Virginia Tech. When Penn State finally offered him as a quarterback instead of an all-around athlete, he switched his pledge to the school he rooted for growing up.
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Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football 2026 recruiting: QBs Troy Huhn, Peyton Falzone
