Penn State football is still looking to land its first high-profile quarterback recruit under coach Matt Campbell.
Could the wait be ending soon? While they missed out on one top Massachusetts QB prospect this week (Peter Bourque), the Nittany Lions appear to be trending to land another (Will Wood).
It would be a significant recruiting win for Campbell and company who, despite impressively building a Top 10 2027 recruiting class in relative short order, are still missing its marquee piece − a verbal commitment from a leading high school senior quarterback.
Bourque, an elite 6-foot-4 pocket passer, bypassed the Nittany Lions and gave his pledge to Virginia Tech and former PSU head coach James Franklin on Thursday, May 14.
Bourque is the top-rated player in the state at the Tabor Academy and the No. 7 quarterback prospect in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite. He had initially committed to Michigan but reopened his recruiting during the winter and appeared to focus on Georgia, Penn State and Virginia Tech.
Meanwhile, the Lions also have been in serious pursuit of Wood.
Five Nittany Lions coaches made a recruiting visit to Wood on May 8 to reaffirm their interest in the top-30 quarterback prospect. Woods, who is from Xaverian Brothers High in Westwood, Mass., also appears to hold Boston College and former PSU head coach Bill O’Brien in high regard.
Others pressing hardest for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Wood include Arkansas, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Maryland.
National recruiting experts, however, are favoring Penn State to land him and possibly soon.
Penn State football recruiting rises, lands 4-star running back
Quarterback remains the prime vacancy for Campbell’s 16-member class that went from zero members to Top 10-status since March.
The latest addition came this week in South Carolina running back Aiden Gibson (6-1, 212 pounds), who chose PSU over the likes of Rutgers, Louisville, South Carolina and North Carolina.
This Penn State class is ranked seventh by 247Sports and 14th by Rivals and On3.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Peter Bourque to Virginia Tech, Penn State football still needs a QB
