When Matt Campbell took over as Penn State’s new head coach, he didn’t waste time hitting the recruiting trail-but this time, it was a trail he’d already blazed. With just two signees in the 2026 Nittany Lions class when he arrived, Campbell turned back to familiar faces from his Iowa State days, flipping key pieces from his former Cyclones recruiting haul to help jumpstart a much-needed roster rebuild in Happy Valley.
Among the most notable additions is offensive lineman Pete Eglitis, one of 10 former Iowa State commits who made the jump to Penn State this winter. The 6-foot-7, 295-pound tackle officially signed during February’s National Signing Day, bringing with him both size and pedigree.
“Me and Coach Campbell are really close,” Eglitis said. “We bonded over being from Ohio from the start of my recruitment. The culture of his team has always been impressive and definitely caught my eye.”
That relationship clearly carried weight. Eglitis, who starred at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus-just a stone’s throw from Ohio State’s football facilities-earned All-Ohio honors and helped lead his team to back-to-back state championship appearances. His size and athleticism at left tackle made him a national name in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Originally committed to Iowa State last June, Eglitis chose the Cyclones over offers from Louisville and Pittsburgh, while also drawing attention from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wake Forest. He racked up more than 20 FBS offers in total before flipping to Penn State in December, saying at the time he was “1,000 percent” locked in with the Nittany Lions once Campbell’s staff reached out.
Two names stood out to Eglitis when he made his initial commitment: Campbell and offensive line coach Ryan Clanton-both of whom are now in State College. Eglitis called them not just great coaches, but “father figures,” which speaks volumes about the culture Campbell is trying to instill at Penn State.
Clanton didn’t come alone either. He brought with him a wave of talent from Iowa State, including another flipped commit in Mason Bandhauer and four key transfers: Trevor Buhr, Vaea Ikakoula, Kuol Kuol II, and Will Tompkins. The Nittany Lions also added depth from outside the Big 12 pipeline, landing Texas State transfer Brock Riker and Division II standout Tyshon Huff from Tiffin University.
The result? A completely retooled offensive line room that suddenly has both depth and options.
“I think we feel as good about that room as any room,” Campbell said last week. “There’s almost two and a half deep on that O-line.
And I don’t know who the starters are going to be, but they’re going to have to go earn it. We’re going to have to see who can consistently be the guys.
But I think there’s great talent in that room.”
That room also includes some key returners: starting tackle Anthony Donkoh, projected starting guard Cooper Cousins, and center Dominic Rulli-who’ll be battling with Riker for the starting center job in spring camp.
Eglitis is set to arrive on campus this summer, but the rest of the new additions will get their first taste of Penn State football during spring practices. For a program looking to reset under new leadership, this infusion of familiar faces and fresh competition could be just what the Nittany Lions need to regain their footing in the Big Ten trenches.