Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
5 0 M A Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State gained a big verbal com- mitment on April 12 when it landed versatile four-star prospect Peyton Falzone of Nazareth, Pa. Falzone is listed as an athlete by On3 but is expected to play quarterback when he arrives next year. He's the second quarterback to join the Nittany Lions' 2026 class, coming aboard 10 months af- ter California prospect Troy Huhn. Falzone, who's listed at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, was previously committed to Virginia Tech but opened up his recruit- ment in November. Since camping with the staff last June, he's visited Penn State five times. He was expected to visit Ohio State in mid-April for its spring game but ended up returning to Happy Valley in- stead. It was his second trip to Penn State since spring practice began in March. "There have been a lot of great players from the Lehigh Valley who have gone on to have successful careers at Penn State," Falzone told On3's Steve Wiltfong during his recruitment. "I think Coach [James] Franklin is a great coach. He has done a fantastic job building up Penn State into the powerhouse it is today." In recent months, Falzone has been traveling 10 hours roundtrip to Ohio to train with Brad Maendler. That's the same quarterbacks coach who helped future Nittany Lions Drew Allar and Ethan Grunkemeyer emerge as two of the highest-rated passers in their respective classes. Maendler has trained many other FBS quarterbacks as well but said that Falzone stands alone athletically. "He's without a doubt the best athlete I've ever worked with," Maendler said. "What he can do running and jumping is very impressive. My arm isn't what it used to be, but when we play catch, he one-hands my passes all the time. It's like he's wearing a catcher's mitt. He has 11-inch hands. The way that translates to spin is insane. His spin rate is pretty crazy." A member of the On300, Falzone took an official visit to Iowa in early April. He had been expected to take an official visit to Utah the following weekend but can- celled the trip. Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia and Wisconsin are among the other schools he's visited. Per Lehigh Valley Live, Falzone com- pleted 146 of 278 passes for 2,135 yards during his junior season at Nazareth High. He tossed 23 touchdown passes and only 4 interceptions while also rushing for 697 yards and 8 scores. "Penn State sees me as a QB, and they also see the value I bring to the team if needed to play other positions," Falzone told BWI following his visit for the Ohio State game in November. "Coach Franklin has been very adamant about that. I really appreciate their confidence in me to be an impactful player in their program." Falzone is a consensus four-star pros- pect. On3 has him ranked No. 286 na- tionally, No. 13 among athletes and No. 9 in Pennsylvania. He's even higher in the On3 Industry Ranking, which combines the ratings of the four major recruiting sites for a cumulative grade, coming in at No. 200 nationally, No. 9 among athletes and fifth in his home state. ■ Lehigh Valley Quarterback Has All The Tools To Succeed RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Falzone threw for 2,135 yards and rushed for 697 during his junior season at Nazareth (Pa.) High. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 COMMITMENT PROFILE PEYTON FALZONE Penn State is taking Falzone as a quarterback, and that's a smart plan. The team already has a commitment from Troy Huhn, a classic pocket passer, so it can afford to bring in a player who brings a different skill set. Falzone is a good quarterback prospect in his own right, and he's shown the tenacity, work ethic and dedication to improve. He's traveling six-plus hours to Ohio on a regular basis to work with quar- terbacks coach Brad Maendler. You cannot discount that aspect of his football DNA when projecting his potential growth at Penn State. More than that, the building blocks of a good quarterback are visible on tape. When Falzone is play- ing with discipline, he shows that he knows how to read a defense and deliver the football. His issues are more about sticking to the plan than understanding the plan. If he can learn to use all those skills effectively when he's under pressure, there's no limit to his potential. In the long line of developmental quarterbacks that Penn State head coach James Franklin has recruited, Falzone is near the top. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N