Hugh Freeze has left Auburn as the coaching dominoes continue to fall, setting up a turbulent summer. The upheaval, however, will not be limited to the coaching carousel. It will undoubtedly trigger a chain reaction of de-commitments, flips, and transfer portal maneuvers, rearranging the deck at practically every program in the country.
One of these changes, and perhaps many more, may benefit the Nittany Lions. With Freeze gone, Auburn’s 2026 class is expected to splinter, raising the prospect of four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone remaining home in Pennsylvania. The former Penn State commit switched to Auburn during the summer. He may reopen his recruitment and give the Nittany Lions another try.
This past summer, Penn State had two four-star quarterbacks committed to its 2026 class: Falzone and California native Troy Huhn. Falzone switched to Auburn, and after James Franklin was fired, Huhn decommitted, leaving the remainder of his staff empty-handed as the early signing period approached.
Penn State is not now in a more solid situation than Auburn. Both are looking for their next head coach, and it’s uncertain who will remain on either staff. Still, it’s a reasonable bet that Penn State quarterbacks coach Danny O’Brien will remain in Happy Valley, and O’Brien has a successful recruiting record, having helped land Ethan Grunkemeyer in 2024.
Will Grunkemeyer be Penn State’s long-term candidate? That is another question that has to be answered. If that’s the case, adding a 2026 quarterback isn’t as pressing an issue, albeit the QB room has grown extremely thin following Jaxon Smolik’s injury against Iowa. If not, the Nittany Lions will most likely have to sign a veteran from the transfer portal and hope that a young player, such as Falzone, can grow rapidly before taking over.
The incoming head coach may also bring a quarterback with him, such as Eli Drinkwitz, who might bring Beau Pribula back to Happy Valley from Missouri. Drinkwitz also possesses 2025 PA four-star Matt Zollers, who will start the rest of the season following Pribula’s season-ending injury.
Will Falzone reconsider Penn State? It is heavily dependent on who the next head coach is. The same goes for whether he will remain committed to Auburn. Regardless, this is an opportunity for the Nittany Lions to make a run for a bright young athlete and see if they can make any progress before making the critical head coaching hire.