The bye week has arrived with Penn State in a spot that would have sounded far more respectable back in August than it does now. The Nittany Lions are 3-4, they have dropped all four of their Big Ten games, and the glow from that 3-0 non-conference start has faded fast.
There is still a path to bowl eligibility with Purdue, Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland remaining. But even if Penn State somehow grinds its way to 7-5 - and that feels unlikely - this would still look and feel like a wasted season in Matt Campbell’s first year. The College Football Playoff, the only goal that really mattered in Happy Valley, is already gone.
Campbell walked into a tough setup from the start. He was hired after the early signing period, with little time to work the transfer portal, and the roster ended up being built around a small recruiting class and 24 Iowa State transfers.
That reality makes this season hard to judge in a simple wins-and-losses frame, but it also makes the bye week important. A reset has to happen this offseason, and the work can start now if Campbell is willing to widen the lens.
That part matters because Campbell said Tuesday he is not changing his focus to roster retention, and he was still firm that backup quarterback Alex Manske won’t be taking over for Rocco Becht. Even so, the next few weeks should be about more than just sticking with the current script. The point of the final stretch is to learn something useful for what comes next.
If Penn State is going to salvage anything from this season, it has to come through evaluation. Winning out and finishing 8-4 is possible in theory, but it would still leave the Nittany Lions outside the CFP picture by a wide margin and sitting in the middle of a Big Ten that has not exactly been imposing this year. Even then, there would be no signature league win to hang on the wall.
So the real question is what Penn State can figure out before the year ends.
The first one is at quarterback. Is Alex Manske the answer in 2027?
Campbell has drawn a hard line in the Becht-Manske discussion, which may tell you enough on its own about how the staff views the redshirt freshman. But if Campbell does decide to give Manske a real look, it would help the program avoid heading into the offseason blind.
Penn State needs to know whether it has a viable quarterback for 2027 or whether it will need to hunt for a QB1 in the portal. Getting that answer would at least give the staff a direction. Missing on it could mean overvaluing the former 4-star and building around the wrong piece.
The next big item is wide receiver Koby Howard. He could be back from injury against Purdue in Week 9, which would give him five weeks of Big Ten action to show whether he can be the team’s true WR1. Howard turned heads in the non-conference portion of the schedule and matched the buzz that had followed him for two years.
But the bigger issue is fit. He ran 57% of his routes from the slot, and that leaves Penn State with a practical roster question: can he consistently win on the outside if the offense wants to keep using multiple tight ends, or does the whole passing game need to bend toward more 11 personnel to maximize what he does best? That may sound like a small detail, but it matters when the staff is trying to figure out what kinds of players to add in the portal.
Then there’s the edge, where Penn State has gotten almost nothing. Yvan Kemajou’s snap count has gone down, Max Granville has missed most of the season with an injury and won’t be back anytime soon, and Alex McPherson has not done enough to force the issue as he cuts into Kemajou’s workload.
That leaves freshman Jackson Ford, a four-star who has played only 22 snaps, all of them in the first three weeks. Campbell has kept hinting at more for him, and the bye week could be the point where that finally happens.
If Ford struggles, that does not mean he can’t become a useful player later. If he flashes now, Penn State may have found a much-needed answer at a position that badly needs one.
That matters because proven edge rushers are expensive in the portal. If Penn State can uncover one at home, it frees up resources to attack another hole on a roster that has too many of them.
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 🡒]