Matt Campbell leaned back, took a sip of water, and cracked a smile - the kind that says, “Buckle up, this might take a while.” And then, with a laugh and a nod to the whirlwind he’s been living in, Penn State’s new head coach launched into the longest answer of his first full press conference since taking over in December.
The question was simple enough: Who are the players on this team?
“Where do you want me to start?” Campbell said, grinning from the podium inside Beaver Stadium.
Fair question. Because if you’ve been following Penn State football over the past two months, you know the answer isn’t simple. Since Campbell was officially introduced as head coach on December 8, the Nittany Lions have undergone a full-scale roster transformation - one that’s been as dizzying as it’s been dramatic.
Penn State saw 46 players hit the transfer portal, the third-highest number in the FBS. That kind of mass exodus can shake a program to its core.
But instead of scrambling, Campbell and his newly assembled staff got to work. They brought in 36 transfers to restock the shelves - 23 of them from Iowa State, where Campbell had built a reputation for doing more with less.
Wednesday marked Campbell’s first time speaking to the media since that introductory presser, and the timing was perfect. Back then, the program was full of question marks: Who’s the quarterback?
Who replaces Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton in the backfield? Who’s catching passes?
What does the defense look like? Who’s even on the coaching staff?
Now, many of those questions have answers. And Campbell didn’t hold back in laying it all out.
He rattled off a seven-minute, position-by-position breakdown, naming 30 players - many of them new faces in Happy Valley. But before diving into the depth chart, Campbell zeroed in on something bigger than names and numbers.
“The whole thing, at least in our football building, that all of us are going through - and it’s a common thread - is change,” Campbell said. “Until you go through change and really know who we are and what we are, you may have been one thing at Ohio State or one thing at Iowa State or even one thing here.
But we’re all going through the same common denominator. And that common denominator we’re going through is change.
And how you handle change and how you grow through change, I think, will really dictate who those players are.”
That’s the heart of the matter. Campbell’s not just rebuilding a roster - he’s reshaping a culture, forging a new identity out of a roster that’s part returning core, part Iowa State infusion, and part blank slate.
And make no mistake: Campbell likes what he sees.
“Do I feel really good about our roster? Boy, I really do,” he said.
Now comes the next phase - turning that roster into a team that can win. That’s the real challenge.
Assembling talent is one thing. Building chemistry, trust, and execution is something else entirely.
Just ask Florida State. The Seminoles brought in a top-tier transfer class in 2024 and ended up with just two wins to show for it. Talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.
Penn State’s approach mirrors what Indiana pulled off last season - a quick rebuild powered by the transfer portal. The Hoosiers leaned heavily on former James Madison players and found success right away.
But that didn’t happen by accident. Curt Cignetti made it work through deliberate planning, sharp evaluation, and strong leadership.
Campbell’s track record suggests he’s capable of the same. What he did at Iowa State - turning a program with limited resources into a Big 12 title contender - wasn’t a fluke. It was the result of smart recruiting, player development, and a no-nonsense culture.
But the Big Ten is a different beast. And in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, the job of a college head coach is more complex than ever. You’re not just coaching football - you’re managing a roster that can turn over overnight, selling your vision to new players while keeping your returners bought in.
Campbell knows that. And he’s not sugarcoating the road ahead.
“We’ve got to grow,” he said. “Every coach in America is gonna tell you how great their team is; I’m saying the opposite. We’ve got really great talent, but we’ve got to go forward.
“We’re all going through change, and we’ve got to figure out who can do it most consistently. Who can be trusted on third-and-1?
Who can stop the run on fourth-and-1? Who can run the ball on fourth-and-1 at the goal line?
Man, who can do those things really good?”
Those are the questions that will define Penn State’s 2026 season. Not who transferred in or out.
Not who came from where. But who steps up when the game’s on the line.
The answers will start to emerge soon. Winter workouts are about to begin.
Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will begin installing their systems. Spring practice kicks off in March and runs through April.
And then, before long, the season opener against Marshall on September 5 will be here.
The good news for Penn State fans? The schedule is manageable.
No Ohio State. No Oregon.
No Indiana. That gives Campbell and his staff a real shot to hit the ground running.
But before any of that, the team has to come together. The roster-building phase is over. Now it’s about growth - about turning a group of individuals into a cohesive unit that can compete in the Big Ten and maybe, just maybe, make a run at the expanded College Football Playoff.
“That’s what’s gonna be really fun,” Campbell said, wrapping up his long, thoughtful answer. “About what we’re about to get ourselves ready to go into.”
And that’s the mission now in Happy Valley: not just to survive the chaos of change, but to thrive in it.