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The Virginia Tech football team landed the commitment of four-star quarterback Peter Bourque this week. He becomes the top recruit of the James Franklin era in Blacksburg.
The Hokies beat Penn State and Georgia to secure Bourque’s pledge. It’s fueled an interesting narrative regarding the Nittany Lions’ buy-in.
NIL rumors surrounded Bourque’s recruitment. It seems the Hokies were willing to listen to those demands. Was it the reason the passer spurned Penn State? Is there a money issue in central Pennsylvania?
Peter Bourque commits to Virginia Tech.
The Massachusetts product experienced a whirlwind recruitment before choosing the Hokies. He initially committed to Michigan but backed off after a coaching change.
Penn State recruited him hard the first time around. That came with James Franklin still employed as head coach.
Franklin was fired in 2025 after a 3-3 start. He landed at Virginia Tech in the offseason and is gearing up for Year 1.
The head coach hopped right back into the mix when Bourque re-opened his recruitment. At times, Georgia and Penn State were considered the frontrunners. The Hokies made a late push to win the battle.
That decision was not one that was foreseen earlier this week. On May 11th, Rivals recruiting expert Adam Gorney placed a prediction on Bourque winding up in Pennsylvania. It obviously didn’t happen.
Penn State is believed to have backed off in the days that followed, though coaches were on hand to watch a throwing session as recently as this week.
There was still some interest, but something changed on Nittany Lions’ end. Was it money related?
Has Penn State handcuffed its football coach?
There are rumors that Peter Bourque requested a $1.5 million per year NIL package. Virginia Tech was willing to negotiate. Details of his deal with the Hokies are not public. Clearly, some type of promise was made.
After being fired, Franklin spoke on money issues at Penn State. He did not believe the school was investing in success. Here’s what was said regarding the 2024 roster that came a play away from the national championship game.
““I’ll give Penn State credit; they went all-in last year. But they went all in for one year… We were still competing against schools that had been all-in every year of the NIL market. Schools that did whatever it took.”
The Nittany Lions did open the checkbook in 2025, which is why Franklin’s leash was so short. There was no return on investment in a 7-win campaign.
Prior to his final season, Franklin claims to have been shackled by administration with a slim budget.
His 2024 roster was valued at $7 million, a far cry from the $20 million budgets of Ohio State and others in the Big Ten. Franklin was behind the eight-ball in recruiting.
Is Matt Campbell being dealt that same hand? That’s difficult to say without inside intel on the Nittany Lions’ current NIL situation.
Penn State currently owns a Top 10 class for 2027. It secured a Top 10 transfer class this past offseason. Campbell is doing just fine with whatever resources he’s been given. Reports hinted at a $30 million budget upon being hired.
SOURCES: Penn State is committing roughly $30 million in NIL money and $17 million in staff pool (assistant coaches, support staff, etc.) to Matt Campbell. pic.twitter.com/CSw9JDIzD1
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) December 6, 2025
With that said, he was not willing to pay Peter Bourque his asking price. At least that what’s been insinuated by Penn State social media accounts.
Despite being the perceived leader days prior to the quarterback’s commitment, they lost out to James Franklin. Money may or may not have played a role.
If you ask the Nittany Lions, they’ll say they prioritized another (potentially cheaper) Massachusetts signal caller in Will Wood. He is a talented prospect with notable P4 offers. Still, something happened to force that shift after once being considered Bourque’s favorite.
Maybe they view Wood as a better player. Maybe they didn’t believe Bourque was worthy of the price tag. They could very well be right. Time will tell.
Given Franklin’s ability to secure the passer’s commitment at Virginia Tech after failing to do so at Penn State, the NIL buy-in will continue to be a talking point.