Penn State enters the Matt Campbell era with a different kind of buzz around Happy Valley.
A season that began with College Football Playoff hopes ended at 7-6, but the Nittany Lions closed with four straight wins, capped by a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson. That finish came after an 0-6 start in Big Ten play knocked them out of the race, and James Franklin was dismissed in the middle of the skid. Campbell arrived from Iowa State in December and has spent the months since rebuilding the roster and reshaping the staff.
There’s a fresh feel around the program now, with competition nearly everywhere on the field. Penn State kept longtime assistant and interim coach Terry Smith, added USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, and leaned heavily on the transfer portal.
Campbell also brought over a number of familiar players from Ames. Fifty players stayed put as well, including linebacker Tony Rojas, who wants to show last season was not the real version of this team.
The Nittany Lions open Saturday, Sept. 5, at home against Marshall, and the schedule at first glance looks manageable. Penn State avoids Big Ten heavyweights No.
1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon and No.
6 Indiana, though road games at No. 16 Michigan and No.
17 Washington still stand out.
On offense, Rocco Becht gives Campbell a steady hand at quarterback. The former Iowa State signal-caller arrives with a built-in comfort level around him.
Taylor Mauser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters both come from Iowa State, and so do receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle also played with Becht last year, and Andrew Rappleyea adds another experienced piece to a group that should help Penn State lean into a physical identity.
The backfield has a similar feel. Carson Hansen, another transfer from Iowa State, is expected to split carries with former Ohio State running back James Peoples, who has been one of the standouts in camp.
The biggest concern sits on the defensive line, where Penn State lost a lot of proven production. A combined 14 tackles and ends either exhausted their eligibility or transferred.
Campbell went back to the portal to patch the group, bringing in five players who combined for 55 games last season. That list includes eighth-year journeyman Siale Taupaki from UCLA.
The staff is also counting on younger holdovers such as sophomore Yvan Kemajou, who posted 12 tackles, five for loss and 1 1/2 sacks in 10 games as a true freshman, along with Max Granville, who missed last season because of an injury.
Up front on offense, Anthony Donkoh is back to help drive the run game and keep the quarterback upright. Cooper Cousins started next to him twice last season, but Penn State will probably turn to three new starters at the other spots, with Texas State transfer Brock Riker emerging as the center.
Here’s how the roster reshuffle looks:
New faces: Becht (transfer from Iowa State), RB Hansen (transfer from Iowa State), RB Peoples (transfer from Ohio State), WR Sowell (transfer from Iowa State), DT Taupaki (transfer from UCLA).
Key losses: RB Kaytron Allen (NFL), RB Nicholas Singleton (NFL), DT Zane Durant (NFL), LB Amare Campbell (transferred to Tennessee), S Zakee Wheatley (NFL).
The stretch that will tell the most about this group includes USC at home on Oct. 10, Michigan on the road on Oct. 17 and Washington on the road on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Penn State Is Still Waiting On A Key Tight End Return
Penn States tight end room has had to keep moving without one of its most experienced pieces this spring. Gabe Burkle, a redshirt senior and Iowa State transfer, is expected to be one of the Nittany Lions top options at the position when healthy, but he is still working his way back from the ACL injury that cut into his 2025 season and limited him to nine games.
Even with Burkle sidelined from practice, his influence has not disappeared from the room. He has been helping younger tight ends get comfortable in the offense and sharpen their skills, a useful presence for a group that is still sorting out its depth and development. For Penn State, the timeline on Burkles return remains a meaningful subplot because his availability could shape how quickly the position settles in once the season pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Rebuilt Backfield Is Drawing Early National Attention
Penn States reworked backfield is already getting noticed beyond State College, with Carson Hansen and James Peoples both landing on the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List. The honor goes to the nations top running backs, and it gives an early hint that the Nittany Lions believe they have added real punch to a rushing attack now being shaped under new head coach Matt Campbell.
Hansen arrived from Iowa State, while Peoples came over from Ohio State, and both are expected to factor heavily as Penn State tries to establish itself on the ground again. The award race will tighten as the season goes on, with semifinalists due in November and the winner set to be announced in December, so this is only the first checkpoint for a pair of backs with plenty still to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Huge Recruiting Test With Elite 2028 Linebacker
Penn State is already laying the groundwork for its 2028 recruiting class, with three commitments in place and contact spreading across several positions. One of the early names worth watching is four-star linebacker Skylar Alston of Raleigh, N.C., a prospect whose profile fits neatly with a program that has long sold itself on developing linebackers as well as anyone in the country. He has already made the rounds on the visit circuit, including an unofficial stop in Happy Valley, and his recruitment is shaping up as the kind of multi-school battle that tends to stretch well beyond the summer.
For Penn State, the challenge is not just getting Alston on campus again, but making the connection feel deeper than a first impression. The Nittany Lions will look to lean on their linebacker tradition as they build this relationship, and a possible fall game-day visit could give them another chance to separate themselves from the pack. For now, though, the race remains crowded, and Penn State still has to prove it can turn early interest into real traction. [Read more 🡒]