Peyton Falzone didn't know if he'd even play quarterback in college, let alone do it at a school he grew up idolizing.
Updated: May. 10, 2025, 5:05 p.m.Nazareth quarterback Peyton Falzone keeps the ball and runs on Oct. 4, 2024.A Trace McSorley jersey still hangs in his closet. He ran around the house as a kid with a headband on to look more like the Penn State quarterback.
His first college game as a fan was at Beaver Stadium. When his dad coached Jahan Dotson in high school, he served as the team’s ball boy.in his genes. But the coaching staff first told him they weren’t sure, that they’d watch his film in the fall and make a decision. That’s why a Nittany Lions offer in summer 2024 — his second as a high school prospect — was particularly special. He camped well in Happy Valley and proved his athleticism. “We’ve been attached to that school for quite some time,” said Tom Falzone, his father and Nazareth’s head coach, “but getting that offer was a great moment for him. “But Coach Franklin was very honest with us, and he made it clear. He said, ‘I don’t know what you are just yet. You might be a quarterback, but you might be a receiver. You might actually be a tight end. We don’t know what you are yet, but we want to give you an offer to come to Penn State as an athlete.” Peyton, now a four-star signal caller ranked as the nation’s No. 17 QB and Pennsylvania’s No. 6 player,. But that wasn’t without a winding journey that saw a decommittment, a rabid desire to transform his game and a whole heck of a lot of driving. “It’s been a long time coming,” he joked in an interview with PennLive. “That’s probably the best way I can put it.” Peyton wasn’t a quarterback by trade. He hadn’t taken snaps and wasn’t flashing elite arm talent through junior high. But Tom had a hole to fill on the varsity team at quarterback by the time Peyton was a freshman. He knew his son was a strong athlete, who now posts sub-11-second 100-yard dashes on the track, and was confident in his football IQ. “The kid’s been around football his entire life,” Tom said. “So we just felt like it was a good thing to let him slide in and start learning.” Peyton took the position by the reins, and by his senior year, he had Nazareth winning a district championship. He earned Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior. In his past two campaigns, he’s thrown for more than 4,200 yards with 42 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He’s shown off dual-threat ability, too, with over 1,000 rushing yards and 20 scores. Colleges took notice. Alongside Penn State’s offer, Virginia Tech and Syracuse came calling. And so did some pressure. Class of 2026 quarterbacks were flying off the board well ahead of schedule, before any had taken official visits. Even Penn State landed a June commitment from four-star Troy Huhn. Thus, Tom said Peyton didn’t want to be left behind, making a commitment to Virginia Tech. But his successful junior season elicited more phone calls. More schools wanted him on campus, including Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State and Rutgers. Peyton didn’t want to take other visits while committed to another school and backed off his Virginia Tech pledge, acknowledging his steadfast appreciation for the Hokies staff. Penn State recruit Peyton Falzone visits for the Ohio State game on Nov. 2, 2024. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comThe schools on his radar had recommended a big-name QBs coach to further his development: Brad Maendlar, who’s based in northeastern Ohio. He’s made a name for himself with current Penn State starter Drew Allar, and the Nittany Lions staff trusts his work. Maendlar went through Peyton’s film and outlined exactly how he wanted to alter his style. Peyton and his family fell in love with the program and made their first seven-hour drive out there in January and have made double-digit visits since. Peyton made a key decision that he viewed himself as a quarterback at the next level and nothing else. He returned to Penn State for the College Football Playofff win over SMU, and he traveled to Happy Valley multiple times this spring. Franklin made a visit to Nazareth midway through the CFP run — an effort that stood out to Peyton beyond his relationship with other head coaches. And finally, after a few months under Maendlar’s tutelage, Penn State told Peyton he was cleared to commit as a quarterback. He had a good visit to Iowa the week before and planned to go to Ohio State the next weekend. But he canceled the Columbus trip, returned to Penn State and committed in Franklin’s office with family around him. In celebration, he took a photo with his childhood hero McSorley — now the assistant quarterbacks coach at Penn State — and said the roller coaster of emotions sunk in the next day. “I went to bed and woke up the next morning like, ‘Wow, now I’m a committed guy.’ My life changed again,” Peyton said. “And that’s what I found in this recruitment process. Your life changes a lot — if it’s different offers and interests, commits and decommits — and I’m just so grateful that they offered me as a quarterback and they believe in me. I’m ready to maximize my potential and go there and compete.” Peyton and his family have already visited Penn State six times with an official scheduled later this month. He’s grown close with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and QBs coach Danny O’Brien. Peyton called Kotelnicki a “dynamic play caller” whose ability to simplify complex concepts, enhanced with pre-snap movement, is impressive to the recruit. O’Brien has stood Peyton behind action in practice and walked him through schemes, getting an early taste of the playbook and expectations awaiting him next winter. O’Brien also expands further on things he’s learned with Maendlar, something Peyton greatly appreciates. “I don’t have anything on paper,” he said, “but it’s definitely helpful to have someone with you like that who’s so invested in trying to make me a better player.” Tom described Peyton as a 100% family-first type of guy. He’s extremely close with his three sisters and his mom. For Tom, among plenty of highs coaching high school football, winning a district championship with his son stands out as one of his most rewarding. Franklin and his staff preach both a family atmosphere at Penn State and the recruitment of a prospect’s family, not just the player himself. That approach helped seal the deal for the Falzones, who don’t have to travel very far to see Peyton continue his career. “We’ve gotten to travel places, see some amazing games, and it’s just been a heck of a ride,” Tom said. “He’s worked hard throughout this whole thing, too, and it’s great to see that. It’s amazing. We feel so blessed to be a part of this thing with him.” Peyton is now on the recruiting trail himself for his Nittany Lions, trying to help push a top-five 2026 class nationally across the finish line. He’ll camp a few more times this summer, including the Elite 11 event in State College, and keep working closely with Maendlar. “I think there was like, ‘Oh yeah, he committed. Now you can relax a little bit.’ Well, at least he can sleep well at night because he knows where home is and he knows where he’s going,” Tom said. “But his work ethic, he’ll keep on grinding, and he’s going to keep doing the things he’s doing to make himself better and prepare himself for the next level.”
Penn-State-Football @Meter Nazareth-Football Peyton-Falzone Penn-State-Recruiting Brad-Maendlar @Sub-Group-C @Sub-Group-B @Subscriberexclusive
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