Since taking the reins at Penn State on December 8, Matt Campbell hasn’t wasted a second. The 46-year-old head coach has been on a mission: get a feel for the program, build a coaching staff he trusts, and reshape the roster to fit his vision. And now, we’re seeing the first big wave of that transformation.
On Friday, Penn State officially announced the addition of 48 new players to the roster - a massive influx that speaks volumes about Campbell’s urgency and direction. Of those 48, a staggering 39 came through the NCAA Transfer Portal, while the remaining nine were signed out of high school.
The most telling detail? Twenty-four of those transfers followed Campbell and several staffers from Iowa State.
Six others had signed with the Cyclones before flipping to Penn State.
This isn’t just a roster refresh - it’s a full-scale rebuild, and Campbell’s clearly bringing his guys with him.
The additions are evenly distributed across the board: 23 on offense, 23 on defense, and two on special teams. That balance shows a holistic approach, not just a patchwork fix. Campbell and his staff aren’t just plugging holes - they’re laying a new foundation.
Let’s start with the offense, where the Nittany Lions may have found their new leader under center. Quarterback Rocco Becht, who started for Campbell the past three seasons at Iowa State, is the presumed starter in Happy Valley.
Becht already has chemistry with several of the receivers joining him in blue and white - Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell, along with tight end Benjamin Brahmer, were among his go-to targets in Ames. That familiarity could pay immediate dividends as the offense installs a new system under offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters - both of whom also made the move from Iowa State.
In the backfield, Penn State added a one-two punch with former Iowa State running back Carson Hansen and former Ohio State back James Peoples. Both bring different skill sets, and they’ll be running behind an offensive line that’s heavy on Iowa State transfers but also features some intriguing new faces from other programs.
Defensively, the linebacker room got a major boost with the arrival of Iowa State’s top trio: Caleb Bacon, Cael Brezina, and Kooper Ebel. That’s a group that played fast and physical in the Big 12, and they’ll bring that same energy to the Big Ten.
In the secondary, Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper headline a group that now includes talent from Boston College and Syracuse as well. It’s a defensive backfield that suddenly looks a lot deeper - and a lot more experienced.
Up front, the defensive line is getting reinforcements from all over the country, with new additions from Utah, UCLA, Oklahoma State, and Colorado. That kind of geographic diversity in the portal says a lot about Campbell’s recruiting reach and the appeal of the program’s new direction.
All told, this is one of the most aggressive roster overhauls we’ve seen in recent memory at Penn State. Campbell’s not easing into this job - he’s attacking it. The message is clear: he’s building a team in his image, and he’s bringing in players who already know what he expects.
This isn’t just about talent acquisition. It’s about culture, fit, and identity. And with a roster that now includes nearly 50 new faces - many of them already battle-tested at the Power Five level - the Nittany Lions are gearing up for a bold new era.
We’ll see how it all comes together on the field. But one thing’s for sure: Matt Campbell’s vision for Penn State is already taking shape - and fast.