No. 1 recruit accelerates commitment timeline ahead of Penn State football visit

The top prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle is approaching a decision as a visit with James Franklin and Penn State football nears. Five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon says that he expects to make his commitment by summer’s end, which will come after he visits with the Nittany Lions next month.

Speaking to Anna Adams of 247Sports on Monday, the Greensboro, North Carolina, quarterback said that he expects to release a list of top-five schools shortly. A commitment will follow in August.

According to Adams, Faizon Brandon plans to visit Penn State football on July 27. He earned an offer from James Franklin and the Nittany Lions during his first unofficial visit in March.

Glad our guys were able to take the Spring Tour up to @PennStateFball! #GDTBAW pic.twitter.com/uV7FWPU6qx

— Grimsley Football (@grimsleyfb) March 27, 2024

Brandon has traveled to Florida State (June 9), NC State (June 18), Alabama (June 21), and twice to Tennessee (June 1; June 17) this month. The Volunteers are the current favorites to land the nation’s top arm, with commitment predictions from Tom Loy of 247Sports and On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

As a sophomore last fall, Faizon Brandon led Grimsley High School to a 13-1 record. He threw for 3,026 yards with a 36-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a first-year starter.

Penn State football lands top 10 quarterback in 2026 recruiting cycle

© Dan Rainville/USA Today Network

Where Penn State football stands with Faizon Brandon heading into that planned July 27 visit could depend heavily on recent developments with another top quarterback in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

On Tuesday morning, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions earned a commitment from Mission Hills (California) quarterback Troy Huhn.

The commitment comes off Huhn’s second visit to campus, which occurred last week. A consensus four-star, Huhn is On3’s sixth-rated quarterback and No. 60 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. He ranks No. 7 at the position and No. 81 nationally in the site’s Industry Rankings.

The move toward Huhn comes as several other top 2026 quarterback targets have recently come off the board.

Huhn has the makings to be the centerpiece of the 2026 class, but time will tell if Franklin and his staff pursue another quarterback in the cycle. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine also gives the Nittany Lions 75% odds of landing four-star quarterback Nathan Bernhard. The Ashland, Ohio, passer has connections to current Penn State quarterbacks Drew Allar and Ethan Grunkemeyer via quarterback guru Brad Maendler, but hasn’t been to campus since March.

Penn State football has one other commitment in the 2026 recruiting cycle: four-star Harrisburg running back Messiah Mickens.

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