Penn State has three players on the Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list, and each one is trying to get back on the field after a major setback.
Max Granville, Tony Rojas and Jeremiah Cooper all landed on the list as the Nittany Lions head into a season where plenty of new faces are expected to see action. For Penn State, the common thread is clear: these are players with unfinished business after injuries interrupted their progress.
Granville’s case starts with promise that never got a full runway. The defensive end showed flashes in 2024, then missed the entire 2025 season after suffering an injury in the preseason. He arrived at Penn State as a 4-star recruit and a top-25 edge rusher, per 247sports composite, but he still hasn’t had the chance to fully show what he can do.
Rojas, meanwhile, has already established himself as a starter over the last two seasons. His 2025 year ended early because of a season-ending ACL injury, but not before he put up 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in four games. He chose to return to Penn State and has remained a key voice on the defense throughout the offseason.
Cooper’s road back is the longest of the three. He tore his ACL around the same time as Rojas during the 2025 season and started only four games before his year was over. The Iowa State transfer has the most recovery ahead of him, but he is still expected to be a staple for the Nittany Lions once he returns.
In Other News...
Cael Sanderson Just Raised Expectations For Penn State Freshman Jayden James
Cael Sanderson doesnt hand out praise lightly, so his assessment of true freshman Jayden James carries real weight as Penn State watches the New Jersey standout try to close out his run at the U20 World Championship. James arrived in Happy Valley with plenty of buzz after a decorated high school career, and he already looks like the kind of wrestler who can handle the jump to the next level. Sandersons comments only add to the intrigue around where James fits as the Nittany Lions sort out their lineup for the season ahead.
The bigger question is where James lands in Penn States mix, with 174 pounds emerging as a logical possibility if he proves ready to battle there right away. His style, credentials and early reputation all point to a wrestler who could fit seamlessly into the programs high standards, but Penn State still has to make the final call on how to deploy him. For a team that measures success by national titles, even a freshmans weight-class decision can feel like a meaningful piece of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Had A Viral Week Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
Penn States week was already drawing attention after the athletic department rolled out 2027 football season-ticket pricing tied to stadium renovations, with some seats set to cost noticeably more. For fans, it was the kind of off-field announcement that instantly turns into a bigger conversation about what the program is becoming, especially when the changes touch a stadium they care about every fall.
The noise only grew when quarterback Rocco Becht became part of the discussion after it emerged he is taking one online graduate class this fall while remaining fully eligible under NCAA rules. What should have been a routine note about a player using the system responsibly instead spiraled into social media debate, drawing remarks from a U.S. senator and Bechts father and giving Penn State another viral moment it probably did not ask for. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Massive Lines Are Fueling A Fascinating Identity Debate
Penn States roster makeover up front has been hard to miss, with the offensive and defensive lines carrying far more bulk than they did in recent seasons. Several of those additions came through the transfer portal, giving the Nittany Lions a different kind of look as they try to build toward the kind of physical edge that has defined some of the programs best teams. It is the sort of shift that naturally invites comparisons to the standard-setters in Penn State history, including the memorable lines from 1994 and 1981.
The bigger question now is what that added size means for the teams identity under Matt Campbell. More mass on both fronts can help a team hold up in the trenches, but it can also change how that team wants to play and what kind of tempo or style it can sustain. Penn State has clearly chosen to lean into a more imposing profile, and the real intrigue is whether that change ends up looking like a strength or a trade-off once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]