Penn State got one bit of good news on Thursday’s availability report: Malachi Goodman moved up to probable for Saturday night’s game against Minnesota.
He’s the only Nittany Lion listed as probable, giving the offensive line a welcome boost even if his status still bears watching before kickoff. Last week against Washington, head coach Matt Campbell said Goodman was on a snap count while he worked his way back into game shape. That opened the door for Garrett Sexton, who had been in the mix for the starting job this preseason, to see significant action at left tackle.
The rest of the report was less encouraging, especially on the defensive side. Three Penn State defenders are still questionable: cornerback Jahmir Joseph, safety Jeremiah Cooper and defensive end Caleb Bacon. That leaves uncertainty at multiple spots as the Nittany Lions get ready for Minnesota.
Joseph and Cooper are both part of the questions in the secondary, while Bacon’s status is one to monitor up front.
Penn State also listed five players as out, including wide receiver Koby Howard. That lines up with Campbell’s comments from Tuesday, when he said Howard was in a “pause state.” The report confirms Howard will not play against the Golden Gophers, though it does not offer any timetable for his return.
The other players ruled out are defensive end Max Granville, linebacker Alex Tatsch, cornerback Tyler Armstead and defensive tackle Alijah Carnell.
With four defenders already out and three more questionable, most of Penn State’s availability concerns are clustered on that side of the ball. For now, Goodman’s upgrade stands as the biggest positive development in the report.
Penn State hosts Minnesota on Saturday at 7 PM at Beaver Stadium on FS1.
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