Must see: Son of Joe Moorhead takes first recruiting visit to State College

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Not too long ago, the Nittany Lions had Joe Moorhead roaming the sidelines at Beaver Stadium as James Franklin’s former offensive coordinator. From 2016-2017, Moorhead helped Franklin’s football team amass a 22-5 overall record with a Big Ten Championship (2016) and a Fiesta Bowl win (2017) to pair. On Friday, the son of this former Penn State football coach — Donovan Moorhead, who is a quarterback in the class of 2026 — took his first visit to Happy Valley.

Been a minute.
Awesome trip back to Happy Valley & visit w/ @PennStateFball
Thanks for the invite @DannyOBrienQB#WeAre@BradMaendler, @mciammo25, @BallCoachJoeMo, @QBHitList, @JaredLuginbill, @BillBankGreene, @LemmingReport, @HSFBscout, @AllenTrieu, @GMarmaros, @RyanSnyderOn3 pic.twitter.com/hFoBNlCjkH

— Donovan Moorhead (QB/2026) (@DonovanMoorhead) April 1, 2023

Son of former Penn State football coach takes first visit to Happy Valley

Donovan Moorhead, a rising quarterback in the class of 2026, is the son of former Penn State football coach Joe Moorhead, who is well-known in State College community. Right now, Moorhead is entering his sophomore season of high school football, and is unranked by every major outlet, though he is getting a lot of attention from many major programs; in fact, many Big Ten teams have their eye on this son of a former Penn State football coach.

So far, Moorhead has collected two official offers from UT Martin and Buffalo. Additionally, there are many major programs that have showed interest in the 2026 quarterback, including the Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Louisville Cardinals — he has now visited with all three teams. The Penn State Nittany Lions are currently without a commitment in the 2026 class (as most teams are), though have their eyes on a number of targets, including Donovan Moorhead.

After Donovan Moorhead’s visit, former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead took to Twitter to share his thoughts and feelings on his son’s trip to State College.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it!” Joe Moorhead said in a tweet. “Thrilled my son got a chance to experience Penn State football as a recruit. Tremendous Blessing. [Penn State is a] special place.”

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