It's no secret that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and Penn State head coach James Franklin have gone toe to toe on the recruiting trail over the years. Now, it's happening once again, but this time with a prospect in the class of 2027.
Teddy Jarrard, the No. 2 quarterback in the class, has received offers from across the country. However, it is looking more and more like he will commit to either the Notre Dame Fighting Irish or the Penn State Nittany Lions, placing Franklin in Freeman's crosshairs once again.
Jarrard has visited each program just once but reportedly loved the environment that they both offered. While he has kept his thoughts about his future relatively close to the vest, he did say that "James Franklin is different."
Meanwhile, Jarrard hasn't said a whole lot about the Fighting Irish or their head coach, despite most recruiting sites crystal-balling Notre Dame to land his commitment in two years.
Teddy Jarrard is really just deciding between Penn State and Notre Dame
While Jarrard, who is a Georgia native, has visited programs like the UGA Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Clemson Tigers on numerous occasions, experts predict that one of the two teams up north will have his name on their roster.
According to On3 and Rivals, the Fighting Irish have a 91.9 percent chance of landing Jarrard, but Franklin has been on a recruiting tear for the class of 2027, already landing three commitments. Meanwhile, Freeman has earned just two commitments from the class so far.
As of now, Jarrard has yet to schedule or announce any official visits, but an impressive showing by Notre Dame next summer could likely cement his future in South Bend.
Teddy Jarrard high school stats
- 362 completions (65.7%)
- 4,712 passing yards
- 49 passing touchdowns
- 16 interceptions
- 45 carries
- 83 rushing yards
- 1 rushing touchdown
Jarrard's improvement from his freshman to his sophomore season was almost unbelievably impressive. He went from throwing 11 interceptions to just five during his second year of varsity football, and he nearly doubled his touchdown count.
The young quarterback also found his footing, running for 95 more rushing yards than he did in his first season, and finding the end zone for the first time on the ground.
Jarrad still has two more seasons of high school football before he ever steps onto the field, for the Fighting Irish or the Nittany Lions, but it is already clear just how much potential the quarterback prospect possesses.