Penn State’s first depth chart under Matt Campbell is starting to take shape, and camp has already shuffled a few names into bigger roles.
Campbell’s debut comes Sept. 5 against Marshall at Beaver Stadium, and the picture coming out of training camp suggests a roster with some clear strengths, a few injury-related wrinkles, and a couple of spots that still need sorting out before kickoff.
At quarterback, Becht has been one of the biggest winners of camp. He arrived in better shape, stronger and cleaner technically than he was a year ago, and the staff believes he could be the kind of swing player who pushes Penn State toward an unexpected playoff run.
Behind him, Alex Manske gives the offense a more comfortable cushion. Campbell views Manske as his future starting quarterback, and the plan is for him to get work during the non-conference slate.
The backfield and receiver rotations are still very much in motion. Martin brings the most long-term upside at running back, but he’s currently behind Hansen and Peoples. Eskildsen is working back from a minor training-camp injury, while Sowell battled some early inconsistency before finishing camp on a strong note.
Tight end has also been hit by some injury issues, though there’s optimism around the position. Ben Brahmer is being treated as the next big one there, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser singled out former walk-on Finn Furmanek as a player who made huge strides over camp. With Burkle still coming back from a 2025 injury, Furmanek is in line for snaps.
The biggest question mark on offense is the line. Outside the starting five, there just isn’t much proven depth.
Campbell has been positive about Aliciene and Sexton at tackle, so there are at least some options there. Still, line coach Ryan Clanton is continuing to develop players behind Buhr and Cousins guard.
One important interior piece, Iowa State transfer Vaea Ikakoula, has been dealing with an injury.
Defensively, Campbell and coordinator D’Anton Lynn appear set on a 4-2-5 base, leaning on two linebackers and a nickel corner. Zion Tracy looks like a natural fit for that nickel role, and he’ll be moved around the defense, including into blitz packages.
Caleb Bacon’s move from Iowa State linebacker to Penn State defensive end is another notable change, though he’ll also spend time at outside linebacker. Bacon often played on the line of scrimmage for the Cyclones last season and finished with 9.5 tackles for loss.
At linebacker, Ebel and Brezina form a steady middle pair, which lets Rojas fill the more flexible role Lynn wants in passing situations. The depth behind them is thinner, but Campbell pointed to returning linebacker Cam Smith as someone who has opened eyes in camp.
The secondary should be a strength once it gets fully healthy. Neal and Cooper are important transfer additions, and Neal’s production at Iowa State stands out - he led the team with 11 tackles for loss last season as a safety. Cooper’s status for the opener is still uncertain.
At corner, Audavion Collins has been “lights out,” according to Campbell. True freshman Zayas also took advantage of extra reps while Dixson and Joseph were sidelined, and he carved out a real role in the secondary.
Up front, Penn State needs the defensive line to make the biggest jump early. The interior looks set with Taupaki and Williams, who combined for 11 seasons at UCLA and Oregon and understand what Lynn is asking for. Depth there is limited, though, with Nnodim and Vakalahi still working back after missing camp time.
On the edge, Ezeogu and Kemajou appear to be the starters, while Granville made a significant climb during camp.
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