Franklin wanted a recruiting W over PSU and Georgia and put a ridiculous amount of money out for PB. We weren’t outbid by anybody in the sense that this all we have for the position, we’re just not willing to put that amount of money out for a high school QB that will likely transfer in a year or two anyway. That is not how this staff operates.
2027 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Went all in after they decided the guy they wanted was going to cost too much.
You may be right, but the offer lists usually tell a story, as well.
I'm sure that Franklin holds a grudge against PSU and that he wants to win head to head recruiting battles. That said I'm also sure that Franklin wants to win and VT has less money to spend than PSU.
FWIW here's a report ranking NIL money. PSU is 12th ($35 million), VT is 52nd ($21 million).
How long will it be before the hokies collect more than the beloved lions of dear old state.
I agree and this is the reason we're better off with CMC and Hoodjer. Franklin did this with Olesh and Michigan and we see how that worked out. The idea is to build the best roster that you can with the resources that you have, not assembling a couple of pieces, while neglecting the roster as a whole just so you can say you won a recruiting battle.
Sorry, Will Wood’s offer sheet is basically dogshit. We missed out on 3 QBs and we’re battling Boston College and Syracuse for him, which says it all. We were top 5 in spending last year according to Kraft, and now it looks like we have a Temu budget—unless Matt Campbell massively overpaid for his Iowa State players.
Not sure where all the money went. A lot of studs declared for the draft, and we definitely didn’t spend any money on last year’s recruiting class. I’ve been trying to give Campbell a chance, but holy f, it’s three-star after three-star with mid offer sheets. Also, spare me the diamond in the rough/Cignetti BS
Not sure where all the money went. A lot of studs declared for the draft, and we definitely didn’t spend any money on last year’s recruiting class. I’ve been trying to give Campbell a chance, but holy f, it’s three-star after three-star with mid offer sheets. Also, spare me the diamond in the rough/Cignetti BS
Well at least you gave Campbell a chance lol
I don't think what we paid for Iowa State players is a major factor. Most of them are seniors and won't be back in 2027.
For the record, he’ll be a better game-day coach, but his recruiting is absolutely pathetic right now for the resources Penn State supposedly has. Not sure if it’s him or Kraft to blame.
Penn State failed to make final 7. We’ll probably end up with a WR from Idaho or Rhode Island that is a sleeper that nobody knows about.
James has no offensive line at VT. He is collecting an impressive assortment of QBs and they are likely to get injured behind that line. James and his GM who I’m shocked he kept, mismanage NIL in the worst way and then are unable to make key acquisitions when needed. We had the opportunity to make key acquisitions at positions of need like DT who wanted to come to PSU in the January 2025 portal and we were unwilling to do so as we were overextended. Concurrently some of the seniors held us hostage for more money after finding out about the currently pay inequities. Players were already upset that Carter was truly making a boatload but allowed to get away with nonsense (something that carried over to the Giants in the NFL.) Campbell is building a program here. We need to give him time.
I think we have average nil resources. Franklin was a good recruiter and the class usually ended up around 15th. We don't have top 10 money for recruiting. Take the money out of recruiting and under Franklin and Campbell we would have top five classes. Fitz basically admitted that Joey O'Brien would have been ours but ND had the money.
We have Pegula but obviously he's not interested in funding this crap. It sucks but this is the garbage system we have.
If that’s the case, and I’m not doubting it is true, then we need to temper our expectations going forward. If you can’t compete with the OSU’s NDs, Oregon’s and Texas’s of the recruiting world, then you can’t expect to beat them on the field. Maybe Campbell can outcoach one of the big boys for an upset win every now and then, but he’ll be coaching with one hand tied behind his back, which is too bad because he probably thought those days were behind him.
I agree. It's not a fair fight so we shouldn't be surprised with the results. As you said perhaps Campbell can out coach people or hopefully he's a great talent evaluator.
That said as long as this is the system where money is everything then I don't see Penn State winning another NC. Just my opinion.
I guess nobody told Indiana that their $20m payroll was too little to win a natty.
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We/everyone needs to stop referring to this process as 'recruiting'. These are pay offs.
And it amazes me how much cash is flowing to 17 year olds with no discussions of contracts. This is not a 'system' it's a cluster. An unsustainable cluster.
And it amazes me how much cash is flowing to 17 year olds with no discussions of contracts. This is not a 'system' it's a cluster. An unsustainable cluster.
I got blasted a few years ago for saying I didn’t think the players should be paid, and look what we have now.
Why would Bourque (or Grunk) want to play for a team with no OL? Are he, his advisors, and his agent stupid?
FWIW I see they have two 4* OT targets that lean to VT.
The drama queens on this thread are ridiculous. Oh we didn't get Bourque who is rated so much higher than Wood we are doomed! We don't have enough NIL to ever compete with the big boys, wah, wah, wah! Somehow I don't think these people said a peep when we were sh##t## the bed vs OSU and every other big game for the last decade and that was ACTUAL on field performance!
All this moaning about '27 recruits and the cycle is not even over plus guys can get bumps in ratings as they play their senior season (Will Wood just got a bump to 4 stars). And speaking of Will Wood, for the hundredth time he is a better fit for PSU than Bourque. PSU cooled on Bourque at least a month ago. Stop whining that we are losing in recruiting and stop being so miserable! The poster portal is open and you can go to Va Tech!
All this moaning about '27 recruits and the cycle is not even over plus guys can get bumps in ratings as they play their senior season (Will Wood just got a bump to 4 stars). And speaking of Will Wood, for the hundredth time he is a better fit for PSU than Bourque. PSU cooled on Bourque at least a month ago. Stop whining that we are losing in recruiting and stop being so miserable! The poster portal is open and you can go to Va Tech!
I agree that Kraft has to find the money to compete with teams like OSU, Oregon, Georgia, etc. but he already has a lot more money than teams like VT.
NIL Tracker 2026 | NIL Spending by School — All 283 D1 Programs Ranked | The Sideline
Grunk wanted to start in 2026 and James gave him just that. FWIW, I preferred Grunk to Becht but I understand qb is tied to the new hc in these situations. Bourque wanted top dollar (same as Mencl) and he got that from James. James currently has a garbage OL and has a poor track record in that regard. James also has no wr talent there. It’s all the same story.
Yup, it is getting ridiculous with the early cycle Star gazers and pants crappers. Just need to let Campbell do his thing. The coaching staff have a system and they are not going to deviate from it. And the whole sport is different. Recruiting is important overall but qb recruiting is less meaningful than ever. You miss on a recruit, you just get one in the portal. Unless you are an Oregon or OSU with unlimited funds, you don’t pay big money on a high school qb that is going to preclude you from getting other talent. I love Wood’s potential but if he doesn’t work out it is not the end of the world.
Yep, same bad movie playing but thankfully we don't have to sit through it any more.
Everyone knows Will Wood is committing tomorrow at 3 pm, right?
BC is a serious player for him, but I think it's PSU. But a BC commitment would not surprise (not claiming any inside info ... just my hunch based off how certain interested parties have been talking).
BC is a serious player for him, but I think it's PSU. But a BC commitment would not surprise (not claiming any inside info ... just my hunch based off how certain interested parties have been talking).
Because he (Bourque) doesn't have to worry about playing, at least this year, so it's not really a determining factor. He wasn't going to play at PSU either. At best, he'll be running the scout team offense, with a red jersey. Get used to the college grind, sit on the bench, take the biggest bag you can get, then transfer out for the next payday.
Grunk most likely got a really nice payday and a guarantee to start. He didn't have that at PSU and I'd guess he went to the one place that offered him both the biggest payday and the starting spot. Can always transfer out next year or renegotiate.
and your post establishes you as intellectually elite and emotionally stable.
I thought retaining Terry Smith as the highest paid position coach in the nation was at least in part because he insured recruiting continuity.
Any clear thinking individual would trade the PSU QB room for the VT room in a minute. In addition, the nonsense that Wood is the better QB is refuted not only by industry ratings but Wood's limited offer sheet. This is just one battle the PSU lost and you move on. PSU will win more than VT over time, if the resources are in PSU's favor as we all assume.
I never have disputed the firing of Franklin. I've stated time and again, he wasn't coming back to PSU under any circumstance. People apparently don't have the intellectual capacity to accept criticism of the current state of building PSU's roster (portal and recruiting) and need to tie it somehow with "loyalty" to Franklin. Some individuals may actually have the ability to follow PSU football and its trends, unincumbered by some connection to its previous coach.
Franklin was fired because the administration, mainly the AD, believed that "we deserve better." He said it. Are you denying that he said we would achieve "excellence at the highest level?" He let the 14th ranked recruiting class walk, because he is arrogant.
I'm simply pointing out that the new coaching staff is recruiting at the level of the previous staff (at best) and generally speaking, that is not cause for optimism. The AD fed the BWICAC with tales of financial/roster mismanagement and promises of bold aggressive talent acquisition. I didn't see it in the portal. I saw 24 transfers from ISU. Rumors of 5 PSU player who were on their way to VT and to avoid further embarrassment were overpaid by up to 40% to stay.
Now recruiting at 88% average and waiting for a 3 star QB to choose between Boston College and PSU. Posters who declare this isn't an issue, because this staff "will coach them up." pull rabbits out of the hat on game day and "win the big game."
Perhaps thoughtful PSU fans should be debating if the scope and timing of the current stadium renovation was the correct thing to do, when college football is going through a phase of "money talks" with roster acquisition? Especially if you are expecting excellence at the highest level and a NC that "we" deserve.
PSU will be fine this year. Campbell is a good coach. However, claiming that the current state of recruiting is adequate to surpass Oregon and Ohio State (don't discount others like USC) in our conference and countless others in the nation moving forward is folly.
AND....when "I actually coached" I tried to put the best players in the positions that fit the systems we ran (although, I had limited recruiting abilities in grades 9-12) So that's a pretty stupid attempt at an analogy.
But staying with this brilliant thought, are you saying that 4 stars and 5 stars don't or wouldn't fit Campbell's system? Because if that is what you are implying, it's frightening.
This isn't 1960. No coach at a top 20 program in America is going to be given 3 years to build relationships.