At Penn State, the spotlight naturally falls on the athletic director or the head football coach. Those are the two jobs that carry the most weight, and right now both Pat Kraft and Matt Campbell are living under a microscope.
The mess began when Kraft fired James Franklin after Franklin’s last three losses. That decision triggered a 54-day coaching search that eventually landed on Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.
Since then, Campbell’s first year has started rough. Penn State is 3-3, with all three wins coming against teams outside the Power Four and all three losses coming in Big Ten play.
Campbell has taken criticism for the early results, but Kraft has not escaped it either.
Ahead of Penn State’s Oct. 17 game at Michigan, Campbell was asked on Wednesday about the backing he has received from Kraft and whether the two meet regularly. His response pointed to the behind-the-scenes work going on as the program tries to get on the same page.
“There’s been so much time, effort & energy internally getting ourselves aligned,” Campbell said. “Pat’s certainly willing to be available, wanting to be available & wanting to help every step of the way. My focus has been completely on this building.
That answer wasn’t exactly surprising. Campbell’s attention is clearly on Michigan, and that’s where it has to be.
A loss in Ann Arbor would drop Penn State to 0-4 in the Big Ten for the second straight year, something the program hasn’t done since 2003-2004. Those seasons are still remembered as the “dark ages” of Penn State football.
It’s too soon to know whether Penn State is heading into anything like that again. But whatever the next few years bring, for better or worse, they’ll trace back to the move Kraft already made.
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Penn State's Linebacker Room Just Took Another Hit
Penn States linebacker group has already been under the microscope this fall, and it took another blow when Alex Tatsch was ruled out for the rest of the season after an injury in practice. Coach Matt Campbell confirmed the situation and said the full details are still being sorted out, leaving the Nittany Lions to keep adjusting their depth chart at a spot that rarely allows much margin for error.
Cam Smiths recovery offers at least a little relief, with the expectation that he should be back soon. Even so, the timing is not ideal for a defense trying to settle its rotation, and the next stretch will show how well Penn State can absorb another loss in a room that has already been asked to do more than its share. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Matt Campbell Era Already Faces One Uncomfortable Reality
Penn States 2026 season has already put Matt Campbell in a difficult spot, with the Nittany Lions sitting at 3-3 and still searching for their first interconference win. The issues have shown up on both sides of the ball, and while the roster includes a heavy Iowa State influence with several transfers following Campbell to Happy Valley, the early returns have underscored how thin the teams margin is against Big Ten opposition.
What has become increasingly clear is that Penn State does not yet have the kind of roster depth or overall talent level needed to sustain a national-title push, especially with the offense adjusting without wide receiver Koby Howard. The bigger concern is less about one rough stretch than the broader build, with analysts pointing to the need for more spending and stronger recruiting if Campbell is going to close the gap at the top of the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Makes Penn State Pitch As Pressure Starts Mounting
Matt Campbell spent part of his recruiting pitch leaning into what makes Penn State different, stressing to prospects that playing in State College comes with a level of visibility and responsibility that follows a player well beyond Saturdays in the fall. The message was less about salesmanship than perspective, with Campbell framing the program as one where the expectations are real, but so are the opportunities that can come from wearing the jersey.
The timing of that pitch matters, too, because Penn State is trying to steady itself after a strong start gave way to recent struggles. Campbell did not pretend otherwise, but he sounded confident there is a path forward as the staff works to keep the bigger picture in focus. For recruits, the appeal is obvious enough: this is a program that asks a lot, yet can still open doors long after football ends. [Read more 🡒]