Following Penn State’s 21-18 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Nittany Lions headed into their lone bye week of the 2026 season sitting at 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten play. With Purdue, Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland still left on the schedule, bowl eligibility is still in play - but hardly assured.
That record has come with a few clear bright spots in Matt Campbell’s first season at the helm. A new-look roster usually brings some uncertainty, and in Penn State’s case, a handful of players have been better than anyone probably expected. The flip side is just as obvious: there have also been some major disappointments, and the gap between preseason hope and what has actually shown up on the field has been wide in a few key spots.
One player who doesn’t make the disappointment list is Rocco Becht. That’s partly because expectations were already modest for a quarterback whose best season came in 2024, when he had two Day 2 NFL Draft picks at wide receiver in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
It also reflects the situation he has been handed. Becht has not developed much across his three years as a starter in Ames, and he isn’t an elite trait quarterback or a high-level processor.
But with a balanced offense, he’d be more comfortable. Instead, he’s being asked to function as a high-volume, high-efficiency passer without the kind of run game that would keep defenses honest.
On the defensive side, Audavion Collins has gone from dependable to downright dominant. Collins had already been a good player for Penn State over multiple seasons, and when he chose to stay this offseason, it was clear Terry Smith had one of his two starting outside corners for 2026.
What has happened since then has gone beyond simple stability. As a redshirt freshman, Collins has been targeted 14 times and allowed only four catches for 28 yards, while adding five pass breakups.
Michigan found some ways to test him, but overall he’s given Penn State exactly what it hoped for - and maybe more. That kind of breakout could even push him into first-round NFL Draft chatter.
Then there’s Josiah Zayas, who arrived with the usual caveat attached to any three-star true freshman. Expectations were low enough that just contributing would have counted as a win.
Instead, he has forced his way into the starting nickel job as Zion Tracy moved back to safety and has made plays with two interceptions. He’s still working through some rough spots, especially against the run and in zone coverage, but the upside is obvious.
For a defense in rebuild mode, he looks like a real building block.
At the top of the overachievers list is Tony Rojas, and the numbers tell the story quickly: 55 tackles, five sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Coming back from a season-ending injury in 2025, there was at least some uncertainty about how he would look in 2026 as he adapted to D’Anton Lynn’s system and settled in alongside Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina.
That uncertainty is gone. Rojas’ sideline-to-sideline speed is back, and he has become Penn State’s most effective blitzer by a wide margin.
He hasn’t just met the standard he set before - he’s blown past it.
If the good surprises have been encouraging, the letdowns have been hard to ignore. Benjamin Brahmer was supposed to be a 6-foot-7 mismatch machine, the kind of tight end who could tilt the red zone and punish defenses over the middle.
Instead, he has been a solid receiver and very little help as a blocker for a run game that needs all the assistance it can get. Even with Koby Howard sidelined, Brahmer has faded in Big Ten play and has not scored since Week 2.
He has caught 21 of 33 targets and is averaging a career-low 9.8 yards per reception. Becht has affected his output, but there’s no way around the fact that Brahmer has delivered less than expected.
Yvan Kemajou is another edge rusher whose season has fallen short of the plan. With Max Granville lost to another season-ending injury, Penn State needed Kemajou to help carry the pass rush in his first year as a full-time rotational edge.
That hasn’t happened. He has just 13 QB pressures, one sack and a 10.4% pass rush win rate.
Penn State ranks No. 113 nationally in sacks per game, and Kemajou’s role shrank against Michigan, where he played only 21 snaps as Caleb Bacon and Alexander McPherson took on more of the workload. Of those 13 pressures, 10 came in the first three games against Group of Six opponents.
Carson Hansen sits at No. 1 on the disappointment list, and the contrast with his past production is stark. Hansen led Iowa State with 952 rushing yards in 2025 and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.
At Penn State, he has averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 72 attempts with four touchdowns, and the run game as a whole has lagged badly, ranking No. 99 in rushing success rate and No. 107 in EPA per carry. The frustration with his style is obvious - he keeps barreling forward with little patience and even less contact balance - but he’s also not the only issue.
James Peoples has been serviceable as a third-down option but has his own problems with patience and vision, while Quinton Martin is averaging just 2.0 yards per carry in Big Ten play.
In Other News...
Penn State May Be Facing Another Costly Recruiting Blow
Penn States 2027 recruiting class has already taken some hits, and the latest concern centers on a prospect who looked relatively firm not long ago. Three-star linebacker Blake Betton, one of Minnesotas top prospects, committed to the Nittany Lions in April and was back on campus for a recent visit, but his name has now surfaced in connection with a possible flip to Wisconsin. His situation comes in the wake of quarterback Will Woods de-commitment and move to Boston College, a reminder that even early pledges can get complicated quickly in the current recruiting climate.
For Penn State, the concern is not just about losing another name, but about how these decisions get shaped by the usual mix of geography, finances and on-field outlook. Linebacker has long been a position the Nittany Lions can sell with confidence, but when a prospect is from farther away and other schools keep pushing, the pull can become hard to ignore. Bettons status is one to watch, and if Penn State is going to steady this class, keeping him in the fold would be a good place to start. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Transfer Exodus Is Creating An Uncomfortable Reality
Penn States offseason roster churn under Matt Campbell has become more than a depth-chart issue, because so many of the players who left are now making an impact elsewhere. Forty-nine players entered the transfer portal, and the ripple effects have been impossible to ignore as former Nittany Lions settle into major roles at their new programs. Twelve followed former coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, while three key players landed with Jim Knowles at Tennessee and helped bolster a defense that now ranks ninth nationally.
The uncomfortable part for Penn State is that this has not looked like a clean reset so much as a reminder of what walked out the door. Several former Nittany Lions are off to standout starts at their new schools, including midseason All-Americans Xavier Gilliam and Luke Reynolds, which only sharpens the sense that this exodus is being felt beyond Happy Valley. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Late QB Push Could Shape Its Next Foundation
Penn States search for its next quarterback in the 2027 class has taken on added urgency after Will Wood flipped his commitment to Boston College. With the current starters moving toward the end of their eligibility, the staff is clearly trying to get ahead of the curve and secure a passer who can become part of the programs next core.
Braylen Warren is the latest name to enter the mix, and the Nittany Lions have extended a scholarship offer to the top-ranked quarterback prospect, even though he is currently committed to Missouri. It is a reminder that Penn State is still active in the early stages of building its future depth chart, and the next move in this recruitment could go a long way toward shaping the foundation of the room for years to come. [Read more 🡒]