2025 QB Bekkem Kritza commits to Penn State: 'I know where I want to be'

Boulder (Colo.) Fairview 2025 three-star quarterback Bekkem Kritza got to take in the atmosphere on game day at Penn State for the first time over the weekend.

The Nittany Lions fell short on the field against Michigan, but they earned a major commitment before kickoff when Kritza silently pledged to James Franklin and Co. On Tuesday night, the dynamic signal-caller made it official, announcing his commitment to the program in State College.

“My plan was to commit to Penn State on this visit,” he told On3. “I knew last week that I had that feeling. About 10 minutes before the game, Coach James Franklin came to me and pulled me into a room. Coach Danny O’Brien and Coach DJ were there too. We talked a little and I gave them the news. I made it short and sweet, and I felt it was the right time to tell Coach Franklin that I found the right fit.”

Penn State first hosted Kritza over the summer in July, and he said he had a good feeling about them at that point. They had showed interest in him since he was a freshman, and the communication was strong. When August 1 rolled around and coaches could start reaching out directly to 2025 recruits, he heard from them almost nonstop.

Communication, feeling like a priority were key for Kritza

The love he felt from multiple members of the coaching staff pushed them over the top.

“The coaches were hitting me up multiple times a day and they have shown mad love all season,” he said. “A lot of other schools were hitting me up, but none as hard as Penn State. They were just real and consistent. They never pushed for me to commit and they were never too aggressive, so that stood out too. Their message was, ‘when you’re ready, you’re ready.’ Hearing that showed me a lot about the people they are.”

That, combined with his belief in James Franklin and the program he has built makes him confident Penn State is the right fit.

“It starts at the top with Coach Franklin and goes all the way down,” he added. “The people are real, genuine and the care. Two things come to mind when I think of Coach Franklin: honesty and loyalty. Those two things mean a lot. He can be tough on his players, but it comes from love. Coach Franklin cares about his players, the team and he was a big part of my decision.”

Kritza is now focused on helping build on a 2025 recruiting class that now features six commitments and ranks near the top 10 nationally. His recruitment is shut down and he’s ready be a Nittany Lion.

“I’m not with the committing, and decommitting and all of that. “I told Penn State that my recruitment is over. I know where I want to be.”