Penn State’s 2028 recruiting class got a split result in Rivals’ latest rankings update, and the biggest winner is the kind of player who can quietly shape a class before it even takes full form.
Quarterback commit James Armstrong of Hopewell High School in Aliquippa climbed 40 spots to No. 61 overall and No. 7 among quarterbacks, while cornerback Deonte Flemings Jr. of McDowell High School in Erie slid 50 spots to No. 184.
For Matt Campbell and his staff, the numbers themselves are not the point. The takeaway is simpler: Armstrong is moving in the right direction, and that matters.
Campbell won’t build around rankings, but Armstrong’s rise helps in a few obvious ways. It strengthens the look of Penn State’s early quarterback commitment.
It gives the staff a more attractive face of the 2028 class. And it adds another small but meaningful reason to feel encouraged about how the Campbell era is starting in Happy Valley.
There’s also a familiar pattern here for Campbell. His 10-year run at Iowa State was built, in part, on an ability to spot talent before everyone else caught up. That program often had players outplay their recruiting labels, and while Penn State’s situation is different - and commits there usually get more of a boost from the industry - the value of getting in early is still real, especially at quarterback.
That position is its own kind of gamble. Quarterbacks tend to commit early, and when one starts slipping as a prospect, the window to pivot can close fast.
If a sophomore quarterback stalls out, you may be stuck watching that evaluation play out all the way to signing day. Armstrong, though, is the better version of that bet: a junior already in the fold and now trending upward.
That should fit what Campbell and general manager Derek Hoodjer are trying to build. With Penn State’s resources behind them, there’s a chance their early evaluations turn into a repeatable advantage rather than a one-off hit.
Armstrong’s rise probably won’t change how Campbell sees him. The staff had its own strong opinion on quarterback evaluation at Iowa State, too.
In the loaded 2025 recruiting class that included Byce Underwood and Keelon Russell, Campbell said he and his staff had Alex Manske rated as a top-four quarterback in the country, even though the highest any ranking placed him was No. 25.
Now a redshirt freshman, Manske is QB2 to Rocco Becht at Penn State and the clear heir apparent.
So Armstrong’s jump into the top 100 and the top 10 among quarterbacks is more about perception than persuasion. It should help make him more marketable as the centerpiece of the 2028 class, particularly with other in-state recruits.
That part matters because Penn State hasn’t exactly cashed in on a strong 2027 in-state class, with only one commitment from a top-20 player in Pennsylvania right now. The 2028 group isn’t as loaded, and the No. 1 player in the state, Jett Harrison - Marvin Harrison Sr.’s other son - is already committed to Ohio State. Even so, it’s still a solid class.
That puts more pressure on Campbell to make a statement in Pennsylvania in 2028. Having Armstrong and Flemings gives Penn State a solid start, even if Flemings’ stock has dipped and his commitment looks a little less firm. The next step is obvious: keep stacking pieces around them.
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has A Koby Howard Concern Heading Into Next Week
Penn States injury watch after the Buffalo game centered on a few familiar names, but Koby Howard is the one carrying the biggest question into next week. Matt Campbell said Howard was hurt on a long touchdown run, and with the Lions moving on to the next opponent, his availability is now uncertain. For a team trying to keep early-season momentum rolling, even a single injury note can matter when it involves a player who was in the middle of a scoring play.
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Penn State Fans Face One Annoying Hurdle For Wisconsin Opener
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Peacocks role as a Big Ten Saturday Night home will extend beyond this matchup, with the service carrying other conference games throughout the 2026 season while also offering football and entertainment programming. For Penn State supporters, though, the immediate issue is simpler and more annoying: if they want to see the opener against Wisconsin, they will have to navigate another streaming paywall first. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Rookies Are Already Creating An Early NFL Debate
Former Penn State products were spread across the NFL in Week 2 of the 2026 season, and several of them made their presence felt in ways that mattered to their new teams. Tyler Warren found the end zone for the Indianapolis Colts, Parker Washington paced the Jacksonville Jaguars in receiving yards, and both Zakee Wheatley and Nick Singleton turned in encouraging contributions in their professional debuts, giving Penn State fans plenty to track beyond the college game.
The deeper story for the Nittany Lions is how quickly this rookie group is starting to leave an impression at the next level, even as the sample size remains small. There was a more uneasy note too, with Nick Scott leaving with an abdominal injury and listed as questionable, a reminder that the first month of the NFL season can change the conversation as fast as it starts. [Read more 🡒]