Breaking down 2023 QB commitments for Penn State, Mississippi State

Mississippi State football and Penn State football both made key additions to their 2023 recruiting class by landing quarterbacks on Friday. 

It was a good day on the recruiting trail if you are a Mississippi State football fan as the Bulldogs finally locked up the commitment of four-star quarterback Chris Parson in the 2023 class.

Not long ago, Parson was a Florida State pledge. In fact, he was part of the Noles class as a verbal commitment for nearly a year before the relationship fell apart and he decommitted.

The move backfired on Florida State, which was going after Brock Glenn, but then missed on him as Ohio State closed strong and won his commitment.

Parson, a four-star quarterback in his own right and the only QB before Friday ranked in the top 20 of the 247 sports composite rankings at the position, has been trending with projections to Mississippi State football, and Friday he finally pledged to Mike Leach.

And who wouldn’t want to play for Leach? Parson is 6-foot, 200 pounds, and is ranked No. 347 overall as well as 19th among quarterbacks, as well as 10th in the state of Tennessee.

Parson is not only committed at the most important position in the game, but he’s the Bulldogs’ top-ranked prospect in 2023 and their only four-star recruit.

So that’s a big deal for the Bulldogs and with 15 verbal commitments and most in the top 600, it’s enough to keep winning with, especially as Leach works his magic.

Penn State football back in the saddle

Just like Florida State, Penn State football suffered a decommitment at the quarterback position as Marcus Stokes flipped from the Nittany Lions to Florida.

But James Franklin, who has put together a really solid 2023 recruiting class, despite some recent hits to it, got back to work and flipped a three-star QB from Tulane in Jaxon Smolik.

The Nittany Lions jumped into the mix with an offer earlier this week, which led to a decommitment from Tulane and a commitment to Penn State football a day later.

Smolik is out of Des Moines, Iowa, and is ranked as the No. 38 quarterback in 2023, as well as the No. 825 prospect overall in 2023.

Some Penn State football fans might be worried that Smolik isn’t a four-star but the Nittany Lions landed five-star Drew Allar in 2022, so another high-ranking QB was always going to be difficult to get, but Smolik is a talented passer and gives Franklin another arm to develop.

In all, both commitments were solid for Penn State football and Mississippi State, as well as a day to celebrate for both fanbases.