Penn State Loses Quarterback Commit After James Franklin's Firing

Troy Huhn, a 4-star quarterback in the 2026 class, became the latest player to decommit from Penn State.

A general view of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State lost a 4-star quarterback from its 2026 recruiting class, as Troy Huhn announced his decision to decommit. Huhn became the fifth player from the 2026 class, and eighth overall, to reopen the recruiting process following James Franklin's firing on Oct. 12.

Huhn, a 4-star prospect from southern California, announced his decision via multiple recruiting sites, including Rivals. Huhn is a top-20 quarterback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the 26th-ranked player in California. He plays at Mission Hills High in San Marcos.

Huhn committed to Penn State in June 2024, choosing the Nittany Lions from an offer sheet that included Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, Michigan and Notre Dame. He participated in the Elite 11 quarterback competition this summer and visited Penn State several times since committing. During Penn State's trip to California to face UCLA in early October, Franklin attended Huhn's game.

RELATED: James Franklin schedules first interview since being fired from Penn State

Penn State Head Coach James Franklin in attendance to see his future Nittany Lion @Troyhuhn take on La Costa Canyon in our Game of the Week 👀#PennStateFootball @PennStateFball @MISSIONHILLSHI1 pic.twitter.com/8Ke3gwLfeL

— Prep Pigskin Report (@KUSIPPR) October 4, 2025

An expected recruiting exodus

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks off the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said he anticipated the team's next two recruiting classes would sustain losses following the announcement. Penn State's 2026 class has lost three 4-star recruits this week, including receiver Davion Brown from Virginia and linebacker Elijah Littlejohn from North Carolina.

In addition, Penn State no longer has a player committed to its 2027 class, which at one point ranked No. 1 in the country. The Nittany Lions had four players committed to the class until just before the Northwestern game, when 4-star Pittsburgh-area receiver Khalil Taylor announced that he would reopen the recruiting process.

After Kraft announced his decision, Penn State's remaining three commits all annouced that they would reopen their recruiting as well. That included 5-star running back Kemon Spell, the nation's top-ranked back and the No. 7 player overall in the class.

A total of 20 players remain committed to Penn State's 2026 class, though many of them have announced that they plan pause the process and potentially visit other schools. Among them is Matt Sieg, a 4-star safety from Pennsylvania who said in social media post that "my family and I are trying to make sure we make the best decision for the future."

I love Penn State and am still open to being a Lion, but with the uncertainty of the current situation, my family and I are trying to make sure we make the best decision for the future. Please respect our decision. @BrianDohn247 @adamgorney @SWiltfong_ @210ths https://t.co/bjzqZbx1WQ

— Matt Sieg 4 ⭐️ ATH (@matt_sieg) October 13, 2025

In addition to taking over as the interim head coach, Terry Smith is working to keep Penn State's recruiting class informed and, possibly, together.

"None of that is surprising, right?" Kraft said. "By the way, the recruiting role has changed. I mean, student-athletes are flipping and going everywhere. I'm not going to be naive. I probably know that every Power 4 team has reached out to our student-athletes already.

"That's where the industry is. Terry and I talked, and one of the reasons I was comfortable in doing this now is because of Terry. Terry is an elite recruiter. He has relationships with those kids. He and I talked about many things. That is a part of it. We have to continue. I think what we will show is what we're such a big and historic all program we are going weather the storm. We have weathered far worse than this.

"... I'll talk to any recruit, whether it's fencing, football, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, I don't care, and I will continue to be active in that process. For me right now I'm just going to be very honest, I am less worried about '27 kids and more worried about my kids in the locker room right now. That's my focus."