Penn State may already have the kind of quarterback it wants for 2028, and James Armstrong keeps giving the Nittany Lions reasons to believe it.
Armstrong has made his stance in the recruiting process plain: no matter what other schools do, he says he’s loyal to Penn State. That matters in the NIL era, and it matters even more because he’s not framing the commitment as Penn State hanging onto him. He sees it the other way around - as him proving he still deserves the spot.
That mindset fits what head coach Matt Campbell is looking for. Dedication from recruits is a big deal, and Armstrong’s approach is exactly the sort of buy-in Campbell wants from a future quarterback.
Armstrong also made clear how he wants to play once he gets on the field.
"I'm not playing for videos or I'm not playing for clips. I'm playing to win," Armstrong told Thomas Frank Carr of Blue White Illustrated.
"If I have to win by running five people over and scoring five touchdowns on the ground, then I will. If I have to win by throwing the ball in the air, then I will.
And then if I have to go to a camp and show the people I can throw and have to show people I can move, then I'll do that too.
"I just think the game time is solely just for winning."
Penn State QB James Armstrong on his playing style: 'I'm not playing for videos or clips, I'm playing to win.' pic.twitter.com/mgE6q8pI1w
- T-FrankOn3 (@ThomasFrankCarr) July 18, 2026
That attitude is the kind of thing Campbell has already signaled he wants from his future signal-caller.
The quarterback room Armstrong would eventually join is not exactly settled. Once senior Rocco Becht moves on from the NCAA, Penn State is left with Alex Manske, Kase Evans, Peyton Falzone, and three-star 2027 recruit Will Woods. It’s a group with questions attached to it, especially since neither of the four has been seen in action yet.
Manske missed spring while recovering from injury, though Becht believes he’ll be ready to step in as the Nittany Lions’ No. 1 next season. Evans and Falzone are both true freshmen, and one of them will likely end up in the Transfer Portal after the 2026 season depending on where Campbell sees things going.
Penn State did land a 2027 quarterback in Woods, but there doesn’t appear to be a lot of confidence that he’ll develop into the long-term starter. Armstrong won’t arrive as an automatic answer, but the uncertainty around the rest of the room makes his commitment feel even more important.
For now, Campbell doesn’t have to worry about the future of the position for long. Armstrong’s commitment and the way he’s talked about his approach suggest Penn State is getting a quarterback who understands the assignment: fit the culture, work hard, and win.
In Other News...
Penn State Adds Colorado Transfer Alex McPherson To Reload Edge Depth
Penn State is continuing to stock up on edge depth, and Alex McPherson fits the kind of long, developmental profile the program has often tried to mine. The 6-foot-6, 254-pound transfer spent the 2025 season at Colorado, where he got into 10 games and showed enough activity to keep coaches interested, even if his role there was still clearly a work in progress.
McPherson arrives in State College with some pass-rush upside and a chance to grow inside Penn States new defensive system, which should give him a cleaner path to carve out a role. He was a three-star prospect out of high school, and for a defense always looking to reload up front, the appeal is obvious: a player with tools, production flashes and room to develop into more. [Read more 🡒]
Former Penn State Quarterback Just Got The Chance Fans Wondered About
Penn State fans have spent plenty of time wondering what Beau Pribula might look like with a real shot to run a program, and the conversation around former Nittany Lions quarterbacks has only grown louder as coaching staffs and rosters keep shifting across the sport. Todd Blackledge has been among those offering a positive read on the current staff picture, while Matt Campbells roster changes and coaching additions have kept the spotlight on how well a new group can come together, especially on the defensive side.
The broader quarterback picture is just as interesting for Penn State followers, with evaluations continuing on Rocco Becht and even the future outlook around James Armstrong. Pribulas next step is the one that will draw the most attention, though, because his path has now moved from possibility to something much more concrete, and the real question is how he handles the chance once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Familiar Pitt Debate With Bigger Stakes Now
The old Penn State-Pitt football argument keeps resurfacing, and this time it comes with a little more weight behind it. Pat Narduzzi has made it clear Pitt would take the game immediately if it were put on the schedule, a familiar stance in a rivalry that still carries plenty of history even after years without a meeting. The last time the teams played was in 2019, and Penn State has controlled the series in recent decades, which only adds to the sense that this is more than a nostalgic scheduling debate.
Matt Campbell, though, has not sounded eager to chase the rivalry for rivalrys sake, preferring to keep his focus on building a strong culture and a program with bigger competitive priorities. That is where the conversation gets tricky for Penn State, because the appeal of the matchup is obvious to fans, but the stakes in the modern schedule are different now. With Pitt willing and Penn State more cautious, the question is not whether the rivalry still matters. It is whether the Lions see enough value in bringing it back. [Read more 🡒]