Record-setting State High quarterback Tommy Friberg has called an audible.
Friberg announced in early February that he had received a preferred walk-on offer from Michigan and was going to play quarterback for the Wolverines beginning in the fall.
On Friday night, Friberg confirmed that he had changed his mind.
Instead, the 2018 high school all-state quarterback will attend Penn State to play tight end. He declined to provide additional details.
Friberg’s Twittter bio says, simply, “PSU.”
Friberg had originally received an offer from Penn State in mid-January to play for the Nittany Lions as a preferred walk-on.
Instead, Friberg opted for Michigan. “I fell in love with Michigan,” Friberg told John McGongial of the Centre Daily Times after announcing his original decision to go to Ann Arbor. Friberg has since deleted his Tweet of Feb. 3, when he announced that he was going to Michigan.
Michigan’s offensive coordinator is Josh Gattis, who coached Penn State’s wide receivers from 2014-17. In 2018, Gattis left Penn State to be co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Alabama. Penn State is 1-4 vs. Michigan in James Franklin’s tenure as the Nittany Lions’ head coach.
Friberg will join former State High teammate Keaton Ellis with the Nttany Lions. Ellis, a cornerback who was also a wide receiver for the Little Lions, enrolled early at Penn State in January and since then has received rave reviews for his performance throughout spring practice.
Friberg was a Class 6A All-State selection for 2018 after leading the Little Lions to the PIAA quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.
In 2018, Friberg threw for 2,293 yards, on 137 of 202 passing with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 320 yards and four touchdowns.
Over his junior and senior seasons as State High’s starting quarterback, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Friberg led the Little Lions to a 22-5 record and set the school’s career passing mark with 4,324 yards, surpassing the record previously held by Chris Ganter, who went on to play for Penn State.
Penn State is led by second-year tight end/H-back Pat Freiermuth. As a true freshman in 2018, Freiermuth appeared in 13 games, making nine starts. He had 26 receptions for 368 yards (14.2 ypc), with eight touchdown receptions. His eight TDs ranked second among all FBS tight ends and first among Big Ten tight ends.
Penn State’s official Blue-White Game roster last weekend listed six tight ends: Freiermuth, fifth-year seniors Jonathan Holland and Nick Bowers, redshirt freshman Zack Kuntz, true freshman and January enrollee Brenton Strange, and redshirt sophomore Trevor Baker.
In that game, Bowers had two catches for 54 yards, Strange had three for 19 yards, while Kuntz had one for six yards. It’s unclear if Holland — who started the first four games of the 2018 season for PSU — participated in the Blue-White scrimmage. When Freiermuth was asked after the game if Holland had dressed or played, Freiermuth declined comment.
Two days ago, State High football coach Matt Lintal had Tweeted out a list of “State College Football Alumni Currently in Football,” with categories of career, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (see below). Friberg was listed under the 2019 heading, next to a Penn State football helmet, with the caption “Tommy Friberg — TE, Penn State Univ.” Both Ellis and Jaden Seider, a backup quarterback to Friberg at State High in the 2018 high school season, were also listed under the 2019 header. Seider is the son of second-year Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider.
Sorry I missed you @JonnyNabs Here is the updated graphic. #GoState pic.twitter.com/yu3VD190si
— Coach Matt Lintal (@SCoachLintal) April 17, 2019
