Matt Campbell isn’t handing out spots on Penn State’s preseason depth chart just because a name looks familiar.
His message is simple: prove it.
That approach matters in a major way for a roster loaded with turnover. Penn State has 45 transfers, and Campbell’s first preseason depth chart comes with plenty of obvious calls at the top and plenty of unresolved battles everywhere else.
Some spots, though, don’t require much debate. Rocco Becht is the quarterback.
Carson Hansen has a firm hold on the feature back job. Anthony Donkoh is viewed as one of Penn State’s top five offensive linemen and one of the team’s top five players overall.
At tight end, Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea look set. Tony Rojas is the linebacker.
Zion Tracy and Audavion Collins are the cornerbacks. Marcus Neal and a healthy Jeremiah Cooper are the safeties.
Beyond that, the picture gets a lot murkier.
Campbell said last week that this fall feels different from a normal camp because of all the moving parts.
“I think this year is so uniquely different,” Campbell said last week when asked about the Lions’ depth chart.
“Everybody’s in a like ‘earn-it’ position, right? Everybody’s either in a new scheme, at a new place, got new coaches.
“Man, you got to go prove it, earn it.”
That’s the reality for a Penn State team that sits behind defending national champion Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon in the Big Ten conversation. After those three, Campbell sees a conference where several teams can still make noise and win eight or nine games in the regular season.
For him, that kind of competition starts inside the building.
“On good teams, on great teams that I’ve been a part of, where it’s championship football, you kind of got to earn your job every day,” Campbell said.
“You kind of got to earn it because there’s enough good depth, enough good players that they’re pushing for playing time.”
Campbell said that’s been one of the biggest positives so far through the summer and the early part of fall camp.
“I think that’s probably one of the real positives that I’ve seen so far through the summer and the early part of fall camp,” Campbell continued.
“My guess is we continue to work through fall camp.”
In Other News...
Drew Allars NFL Debut Just Gave Penn State Fans A Big Reminder
Penn State fans got a fresh reminder this weekend of why Drew Allar still looms large in the conversation around the programs recent quarterback lineage. In his NFL debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Allar looked comfortable in a preseason setting, completing 10 of 13 passes for 154 yards and showing the kind of command that made him such a familiar name in State College before he moved on to the pros.
The bigger takeaway for Penn State followers is the sense that his game is still trending in the right direction. Head coach Mike McCarthy pointed to Allars development and the work he has done within the West Coast offense, while Allar acknowledged the adjustments and said he remains focused on becoming more consistent. For a fan base that watched him grow into a centerpiece player, that is the kind of early NFL progress worth keeping an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Backup QB Battle Just Took An Unusual Turn
The backup quarterback race has taken on a different feel in State College with Connor Barry in the mix, a transfer from Division III Christopher Newport who has already gotten work in both spring and fall camps. For Penn State, it is an unusual path into a crowded room, but Barry has been given a chance to show what he can do after making the leap to a Power 4 program.
Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters has pointed to Barrys experience and the way he has handled the speed and complexity of Division I football, which is no small adjustment for a player coming from that level. Barry is one of the rare Division III quarterbacks to make this kind of jump, and the fact that he has been getting meaningful reps suggests Penn State sees more than just a storybook roster add, even if the competition around him is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States RB2 Battle Just Got More Interesting After Latest Practice
Penn States preseason camp has turned the No. 2 running back job into one of the more closely watched position battles on the roster, and the mix at the top keeps shifting. Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen has been getting work with the first team, while Quinton Martin Jr. remains in the race, giving the staff a few different styles to sort through as the offense tries to settle in behind its top option.
Ohio State transfer James Peoples has pushed himself right into the conversation after a strong practice, and his value goes beyond carrying the ball. Head coach Matt Campbell has made it clear that blocking is a major part of the evaluation for running backs, and that kind of reliability can go a long way in a room where every rep matters. With camp still unfolding, the battle for that backup role feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]