PA’s No. 1 QB, Penn State football target offered by Manny Diaz at Duke

Penn State football is trending in the right direction for the top QB in the Keystone State, but James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will have to compete with a familiar face to win his commitment. Matt Zollers, the No. 1 QB in Pennsylvania for the 2025 recruiting class, picked up an offer from Manny Diaz and the Duke Blue Devils Wednesday. Although the Nittany Lions are believed to be the frontrunner in Zollers’ recruitment, the offer is the latest in a potentially emerging recruiting battle between James Franklin and his former defensive coordinator for some of the commonwealth’s top prospects. 

2025 QB target Matt Zollers earns offer from Duke

While Penn State football already has a commitment from one QB, Bekkem Kritza, in the 2025 recruiting cycle, Spring-Ford QB Matt Zollers appears to still be at the top of the wish list for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. 

Zollers is one of the top gunslingers in the 2025 cycle, evaluated as the No. 9 QB nationally and the third-rated overall prospect in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports. The four-star is slightly lower in the composite rankings, considered a top 15 QB and top 10 prospect in the state. However, all the major recruiting services agree that Matt Zollers is the top arm in Pennsylvania for 2025. 

The list of programs interested in Matt Zollers grows longer by the day, the most recent coming from former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, now the head man at Duke. “After a great conversation with [QB coach Jonathan Brewer], I’m excited to have received an offer from Duke University!” Zollers wrote on social media Wednesday. The Blue Devils are now the 20th school to offer Montgomery County QB.

After a great conversation with @coachbrewha I’m excited to have received an offer from Duke University!! @DukeFOOTBALL @SFRamsFB @CoachTaggart14 pic.twitter.com/pe8XHNiNDi

— Matt Zollers (@MattZollers) February 14, 2024

Will the Duke offer change anything in Zollers’ recruitment?

It’s yet to be seen if Manny Diaz and Duke will be viable contenders for the 2025 QB. Last week, Zollers narrowed his recruitment to four schools: Penn State, Georgia, Missouri, and Pitt. Of those programs, On3 currently gives the Nittany Lions the best odds of landing Zollers’ commitment. 

Pennsylvania’s top QB has certainly been garnering attention from programs down south. Before visiting Penn State football on February 3, Zollers made trips to several southern schools, including the SEC’s Florida and Georgia. Of course, the Bulldogs are one of two SEC teams listed by Zollers last week. 

Emerging recruiting battle between Penn State and Manny Diaz?

At a higher level, the Matt Zollers offer is the latest in what has become a growing trend from Manny Diaz and the Duke coaching staff.

On February 8, Diaz and the Blue Devils made the cut for Penn State football legacy prospect Anthony Sacca. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions were left off Sacca’s top-five list. 

That same day, Diaz made an even deeper incursion into the Keystone State, earning a commitment from Cam Smith. Teammates at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Smith and Sacca are the top two LBs in Pennsylvania for the 2025 recruiting cycle. 

Last week’s events make sense when considering the relationship-oriented nature of recruiting. While James Franklin is obviously at the tip of the spear, Manny Diaz was a significant part of Sacca and Smith’s recruitment at Penn State. With shifting priorities under a new defensive staff in Happy Valley led by Tom Allen, it’s not shocking that some prospects may be interested in following Diaz to Durham.

Matt Zollers will be an interesting player to watch as we figure out if Diaz’s influence can be the same on the other side of the ball. We will also need to see if a similar trend continues beyond the 2025 recruiting cycle, or if we are witnessing the beginnings of a heated battle between James Franklin and Manny Diaz for the top prospects in Pennsylvania for cycles to come. 

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