Penn State's Top-10 Recruiting Class Needs a QB. Here Are the Prospects

The Nittany Lions continue pursuing a quarterback for their 2027 recruiting class.

Xaverian Brothers High quarterback Will Wood scores a touchdown during a Massachusetts Division I game against Brockton. | Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Matt Campbell took Penn State's 2027 recruiting class from an empty nest to No. 6 in the country in about four weeks. Now, the Nittany Lions are focusing on adding a quarterback and will get some news at the position Wednesday.

Will Mencl, Rivals' top-ranked quarterback in the 2027 class, is scheduled to announce his commitment April 22 live on the Rivals' YouTube channel. Mencl, a Rivals 5-star prospect from Chandler, Arizona, has named Penn State, Oregon and Auburn as his three finalists. He also has offers from Miami, Washington and Missouri, among others.

Campbell offered Mencl in January, and the 6-3 quarterback visited Penn State in early April. This week, before Mencl's decision, Penn State made an offer to 3-star Massachusetts quarterback Will Wood, who acknowledged the moment by posting a photo of former Nittany Lion Trace McSorley on social media. Wood became the latest quarterback to enter Penn State's plan for the 2027 class.

After a memorable visit and conversation with @CoachMC_PSU I am honored to say @PennStateFball offered! @CoachJWaters @T_Mouser @DerekHoodjer @TrentSlattenow @XBHS_Football @M2_QBacademy @tyler_calvaruso @RyanSnyderOn3 @SeanFitzOn3 @zach_seyko @SWiltfong_ @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/EsTPoPHFkQ

— Will Wood 2027 QB (@willwood11_) April 20, 2026

Wood led Xaverian Brothers to a thrilling 41-35 win over St. John's Prep in the MIAA Division I Super Bowl at Gillette Stadum. He threw for 345 yards and five touchdowns in the game, accelerating a recruiting process that began in 2024.

The 6-2, 220-pound quarterback also has offers from West Virginia, Boston College, Wake Forest and North Carolina, among others. Penn State is the most recent program to offer Wood following his unofficial visit to State College to watch spring practice.

Wood has scheduled official visits to Arkansas, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Boston College for the late-spring calendar. The Penn State offer also could lead to an official visit.

Here are some of my top plays this year!!!@XBHS_Football @M2_QBacademy @SWiltfong_ @adamgorney @BrianDohn247 @TomLoy247 pic.twitter.com/yKR5AFxXZp

— Will Wood 2027 QB (@willwood11_) February 22, 2026

Penn State previously had offered three quarterbacks, two of whom are still in play. Keegan Croucher, a 4-star prospect from Tennessee whom Penn State offered in late December, has committed to Ole Miss. With Mencl scheduled to announce Wednesday, that leaves 4-star prospect Peter Bourque as Penn State other current quarterback prospect.

Bourque is the nation's seventh-ranked quarterback in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the top-ranked player in Massachusetts (Wood is third). The 6-4 quarterback at Tabor Academy also has offers from Miami, Colorado, Georgia, Oregon and Virginia Tech.

Bourque, a 2026 Elite 11 finalist, initially committed to Michigan but reopened the recruiting process in February. He since has been to Georgia, Penn State and Miami as part of the next phase of his decision.

Penn State's limited number of quarterback offers underscores Campbell's strategic approach to the position. He's not a head coach who will paper the quarterback field with offers, even if they don't fit the program. Campbell is looking for quarterbacks with whom he connects, and vice versa.

"For me, quarterback is funny," Campbell said. "It’s fit. It’s the relationship with the head coach. The head coach and the quarterback better be linked at the hip, ... because I feel like the quarterback has got to have the leadership ability, the toughness and the grit to control the locker room. I think you’re always looking for the right intangibles that way.

"Everybody likes fast, everybody likes arm strength, but those things don’t win. What wins is grit, toughness, character and the ability to lead others around. The locker room always knows who the quarterback should be."

Day by day. @M2_QBacademy @speedcoachDB @CoachJeffMoore @BrianDohn247 @SWiltfong_ @CharlesPower @TomLoy247 @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/TUFARN7Wgr

— Peter Bourque c/o2027 (@PeterBourque7) April 7, 2026

Building a top-10 class

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

While positioning itself at quarterback, Penn State has steadily built a top-10 recruiting class this spring. The Nittany Lions have received 11 commitments over the past month, notably from 4-star safety Kei'Shjuan Telfair, 4-star tight end Cooper Terwilliger and 4-star receiver Landon Blum.

Penn State's 2027 class ranks sixth nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, and fourth in the Big Ten behind USC, Ohio State and Washington. The class currently is secondary-centric, with four defensive backs, including three corners recruited by Terry Smith. Penn State's former interim head coach called Campbell's recruiting style "character-driven."

"It's something that Penn State's culture has been built on forever," Smith said. "Way back to [former coaches] Rip Engle and coach [Joe] Paterno, we're going to recruit a certain kind of kid that fits us. That's a kid that's academically inclined, wants to play football at a high level, but school matters. We're still recruiting those type of kids, and just the fit is more important than the talent, and that's the same culture right now."

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.