What Penn State's Matt Campbell Prioritizes When Recruiting Quarterbacks

Penn State has landed commitments from two quarterbacks over the past six weeks, both of whom will play major roles in shaping Matt Campbell's future offenses. Though they have different traits, Will Wood and James Armstrong share some of Campbell's primary common denominators: size, length and leadership.

"I feel like the quarterback has got to have the leadership ability, the toughness and the grit to control the locker room," Campbell said. "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 know who the quarterback should be."

Wood, the quarterback in Penn State's 2027 recruiting class, spent his official visit bonding with his fellow commits and building relationships with potential new recruits. And that's what James Armstrong will begin doing as the quarterback committed to Penn State's 2028 class.

Campbell and his offensive staff identified and pursued Armstrong early in the recruiting cycle, getting a commitment a year-and-a-half before the quarterback can sign his contract. There's a reason: Armstrong, who plays for Hopewell High in western Pennsylvania, is the top-ranked quarterback in Pennsylvania for the 2028 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Getting Armstrong on board early means the quarterback, usually the face of a recruiting class, can begin helping to shape the rest of the class. Armstrong is the third player to join Penn State's 2028 class and the first on offense.

"For me, quarterback is [about] fit and it's the relationship with the head coach," Campbell said when asked about his philosophy in recruiting quarterbacks. "The head coach and the quarterback better be linked at the hip."

What else does Penn State look for in quarterbacks? General manager Derek Hoodjer offered some insight.

Size and length are important

Hopewell quarterback James Armstrong (5) fires the ball downfield during a high school football game against Avonworth. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

At just 16 years old, Armstrong already fits some of Penn State's key characteristics. He's 6-3, 220 pounds with room to grow. Wood is listed at 6-1, 220. Those are important traits across positions for Campbell and his staff.

"Coach Campbell will tell you: Big people beat small people in its simplest form," Hoodjer said. "So length, physical size, the ability to create a physical football team, is something that we've always strived to do and will continue to strive to do.

"And I think Coach Campbell, [offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser] and the offensive staff, [defensive coordinator] D'Anton Lynn and the defensive staff, have always done a great job of establishing what each position on our football team has to do, and then going and identifying players who ... have those characteristics for us to feel like we can develop them.

"But certainly, length and just physical size is critically important to that component. Whether it's at quarterback and it's accuracy or the ability to move in the pocket, or whether it's at the defensive back position, the ability to run or the ability to strike as a linebacker, those are all things that we feel like are non-negotiables."

Accuracy matters over arm strength

Hopewell Vikings quarterback James Armstrong (5) surveys the field before throwing a pass. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Specifically at quarterback, Hoodjer said Penn State's offense will prioritize accuracy and consistency, both of which require a baseline that can be developed. Wood and Armstrong both showed those traits last season.

"Accuracy and consistency are important across the board, whether it's deep-ball accuracy, intermediate accuracy, or in the quick game," Hoodjer said. "Accuracy I think is something that's really hard to teach a quarterback, and how the ball comes out of their hand, I would say that's critically important.

"Obviously, you have to have good enough arm strength. I don't think you have to have the strongest arm in all of college football to play in a successful way and play winning football."

Thank you for a great home visit @PennStateFball #WEARE 🦁 pic.twitter.com/TqMreVcUdR
— Will Wood 4⭐️ 27’ QB (@willwood11_) May 9, 2026

Campbell also prefers quarterbacks who can run, which Wood and Armstrong both can do. Wood rushed for nearly 450 yards at Massachusetts' Xaverian Brothers High last season, and Penn State's brought running backs coach Savon Huggins with Mouser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters on an in-home visit with the quarterback.

Meanwhile, Armstrong is a three-sport athlete who ran for 739 yards last season, when he became the first sophomore to be named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette boys athlete of the year.

"You've got to be able to move around a little bit," Hoodjer said. "Obviously, some guys we've had have been tremendous runners, while other guys are mobile enough to pick up a few yards, to stay clean in the pocket, things of that nature."

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google