I feel like I'm watching a spy/noir movie with all the intrigue. If all of the rumors are true, it seems like a very risky game that could backfire and cause problems both short and long term. Short term, what if the teams that are allegedly the main players (Georgia and Va Tech) get turned off and go after other options, leaving him with a school that neither the school nor he wanted? Long term, isn't it uncomfortable between him and the staff if he resorted to such tactics? Does this send a message that he will not be on a roster next year if a better offer comes? Does the coaching staff like the person and trust him? It feels very short sighted. Someone on here mentioned in a broad recruiting context that PSU can get 80-90% of the production from other players, at less cost and less disruption. I think last year's haphazard approach to NIL created issues within the team.
2027 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Is it money? Is it lack of confidence in Campbell? Both of those would be really bad IMO.
I hate the pay to play system but I disagree with people who think we can recruit 3* players and be competitive with OSU, UM, Oregon, USC, etc because we'll simply coach them up. I think at top 10 QB is essential and our depth chart should make PSU top option for recruits.
Do you think PSU has more money than any school you mentioned? If you don't know which clearly it seems you don't know...that is fine, but yes MONEY in 2026 matters currently. Some recruits/agents it matters more than others. There is no 100% rule there just like PRE NIL recruiting....but money did matter there too unless you still think it was all above board. I mean MC has been here 6 months and it's one player at one position, but we can pretend it's a trend for our known slower posters.
Franklin whiffed on this same recruit at PSU and if UM wasn’t a dumpster fire he would still be there I imagine. So the same coach who may land him missed him while at PSU. Maybe he’s just not that high on PSU? I don’t believe MC was recruiting him for the last 1.5 years either, but JF has been. Then again every thing is black and white to some. Never any gray.
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How does that hurt psu? Campbell knows s own level of interest. The rumor hurts georgia or VT who might overpay and then have less money for other targets.
Hence the five years ago comment. Harbaugh was the coach and he would have stayed committed to UM.
This seems far fetched about Gorney getting duped but I guess it is possible in this bizarre CFB pay for play world.
Didn't Campbell and staff visit Bourque in home like they did Wood?
I'm glad there will be some answers to this soap opera on Thursday.
I still struggle with a guy like Bourque choosing Va Tech. He spurned Franklin once. I guess Franklin's pitch is that when Bourque gets there in '27 it could be Grunk's last season there so he could sit behind him for 1 year then take over. For Campbell and PSU, he clearly is not laying out a clear path for Bourque with Wood in the mix.
Odd, that isn't what I've been reading or hearing about this recruitment, but then again this is the free board. When you use the word clearly, you usually have knowledge or information to back that up. The clear information being put out on multiple sites was PSU wasn't willing to go up in numbers....but I don't clearly know that...I just trust those a bit more than folks on this site.
I mean, isn't it quite possible that none of these insiders have correct info?
Since the Franklin firing/Campbell hiring, PSU and National insiders have whiffed on a lot of big stories. Kraft and Campbell seem to keep things tight these days. And why would a kid that just got dragged through the mud the last two weeks by some of these sites be giving out fake agent news to them now? We've been the perceived leader for two months. And seemingly been leading for Wood too. Maybe it truly is whoever commits first? And Campbell and Co would be happy with either outcome.
Since the Franklin firing/Campbell hiring, PSU and National insiders have whiffed on a lot of big stories. Kraft and Campbell seem to keep things tight these days. And why would a kid that just got dragged through the mud the last two weeks by some of these sites be giving out fake agent news to them now? We've been the perceived leader for two months. And seemingly been leading for Wood too. Maybe it truly is whoever commits first? And Campbell and Co would be happy with either outcome.
I have no inside info. Are you saying "inside" sources say Va Tech was offering more than PSU? That's certainly possible. My comment was about just looking at the two programs and PSU is better than Va Tech and it is not like Franklin and O'Brien have demonstrated they are QB gurus. On the other hand, aside from a big bag of money maybe the longevity of the relationship with Bourque is helping BGJ and again some promise that he could be the clear starter by '28.
Getting both could certainly be in play (and I would love that). In this portal world you have no loyalty to a school so if they both commit then whomever does not win the job just simply leaves.
Well, looks like we got riled up for nothing. That pick confused all as the insider consensus was that Wood better fits what we are looking for and it’s only a matter of when, not if, Wood commits here. Gorney was 92% accurate on his picks and admittedly made a mistake last night.
It's not only possible but is the reality. Seems to be an insider today all you need to do is say you're an insider.
So he had no idea what he was saying? This does make more sense that Bourque is probably not coming to PSU. I hope Wood commits soon.
Wood indicated that CMC says "the best will play" and he seemed OK with that. Maybe Bourque doesn't want competition in his class?
My take, no reason anymore to pay an exorbitant amount for a HS QB.
I'd rather see PSU pay a 5 Star DE like Seasay and then pay a proven veteran QB from the portal if the need arises.
Wait and see how Manske, Evans (Freshman), and Woods (potential verbal) pan out before paying Bourque.
No reason to pay ? Who is our backup?
A good transfer qb is not taking a discount.
Alex Manske who I believe was Iowa States rated recruit ever transferred to Penn State will be the starting QB next year unless he just flat out sucks.
It looks like Manske and a transfer that took most of the snaps in spring camp are the backups. The team has a budget and a GM to manage the money.
If Borque goes to GA imo he won't make the grade. if he goes to VoTech they will ruin him.
Two guys who are question marks and have thrown 0 passes at psu.
Manske missed the spring. The other guy was d3 last year.
Or flat out isn't healthy enough to play. IF the Connor Barry ends up being the backup in 2026. WE have a big hole in 2027, and I'd say it looks like transfer portal written all over it. OF course Barry could ask for another year of eligiblity because he got a hangnail or something and the NCAA will likely give it to him.
Manske is the next man up and is held in high esteem by Campbell. If he is unable to shake the injury bug, I have no doubt we would go out and spend money on an established qb starter. We have the funds to do that and in fact did so with Becht. This staff will not overpay for high school talent that will not contribute for a year or two. We just did that with Franklin getting his recruiting w with Olesh, who was fantastic in high school but lacked the size to play TE in year 1 as a 215 lb Freshman TE. The lack of pay system and unequal distribution of compensation is one of the reasons our locker room went toxic in 2025. And it precluded us from landing top talent in the portal needed for 2025.
As compared to the teams PSU needs to beat for a conference title? Compared to the teams fans claim they should be beating in the playoffs? I didn't hear an AD who said, our goal here is to do just fine.
This is 2026. Top talent isn't coming here for Dear old State, the downtown ambiance, the beautiful coeds. Top athletes and their parents and sadly agents....start and end recruiting with finances.
Everyone now has a GM and they probably know their budget. It's a pro game and there currently is no cap. If you can't or won't pay recruiting blue chips, you had better be ready to pay more money for proven commodities in the portal. If can't shop for elite talent in either venue, you (PSU) will finish behind OSU and Oregon and possibly (USC UM and others). If PSU misses on a desirable recruit, perhaps they valued him different than another school, or they just didn't have the resources.
Guaranteed, those who go elsewhere will be predicted failures and weren't Penn State material. You will read it here first.
This is an interesting twist. Now we like Bourque a lot after watching him throw today. The story references comments from Bourque himself that it is a 3 team race. This is one of the more interesting recruitments in quite some time. Wood is also making a decision soon.
That is absolutely true, and right up to signing day even after you get a verbal.
There isn't a school on Wood's offer sheet that should best PSU. Boston College, Maryland, Syracuse, Wake?
and you continue for 4 years with each portal opportunity.
Bourgue is a top 7 QB and #80 overall talent in the class. This is the type of commitment PSU needs to start to secure.
Of course I understand that money matters. But do you really think the top teams have so much more money than PSU that they can recruit 3 QBs rated higher than PSU's top QB? It seems to me that if they can sign a kid rated 95 and another rated 93 we ought to be able to get one rated 92.
It's not good if we can't offer as much as VT (or as much as a Top team's #2 commit).
Precisely. If PSU can’t compete with the big boys in recruiting, there shouldn’t be any expectation to compete with the big boys on the field.
Can't or won't? There is a difference.
Big Game didn't exactly earn high marks for his allocation of money while he was at PSU.
Four-star RB Aiden Gibson on Penn State commitment: 'I love Coach Campbell's vision and the culture he's building'
Penn State added another four-star commitment on Tuesday with the addition of South Carolina native Aiden Gibson. Learn more here!