Matt Campbell left Tuesday with a mix of optimism and concern after Penn State’s road win over Temple, touching on a backfield that still needs sorting, a few key injury updates and the season-ending loss of defensive end Max Granville.
The running back room remains very much a work in progress. Carson Hansen has been the primary option, with James Peoples backing him up, and Campbell said there’s still plenty the group can clean up. His issue wasn’t with Taylor Mouser’s playcalling so much as how the players are carrying it out.
He said Hansen’s development is moving in the right direction, especially because he’s not losing yardage very often. Still, Campbell made it clear he wants more.
“But that guy, the explosion, those finality of finishes, there's still a lot of room for growth there,” Campbell said.
Quinton Martin Jr. also came up in the conversation after not seeing the field Saturday. Campbell said he believes in Martin, but that the competition in the room is real. He said he’s eager to watch the backs keep battling in practice and called himself “grateful that there's a lot of guys that can do a lot of things with the ball in their hands.”
“We have a lot of playmakers, and that's why practice is so critically important right now,” Campbell said. “There's still some gray, and that room is going to continue to work itself out as we work through the weeks and work through these games.”
Campbell also provided some clarity on the injury front. Armstrong Nnodim and Alijah Carnell will play against Buffalo on Saturday, after both were close to full strength during warmups at Lincoln Financial Field but were held back to avoid any chance of re-injury.
Linebacker Cam Smith, though, is still a “question mark,” even if he did practice Tuesday.
Campbell said the distinction between being healthy and being ready matters, especially as players work back from injury. He pointed to the importance of getting more practice reps and gradually returning to game speed, noting that some players who were healthy during fall camp were still limited in Week 1.
“We're getting healthier, which is positive,” Campbell said. “There's a difference between being healthy and being ready to play. Those are things where you know it's going to be critical to get those guys back and continue to see what are they.”
The biggest blow remains Granville, whose season ended after an injury in practice leading into the Temple game. Campbell said the loss hits hard because of everything Granville had already overcome. The redshirt sophomore had come back from a season-ending injury before 2025 and returned in the opener against Marshall, where he broke up a pass.
“It's really tough losing a guy like Max, more than you know because of what his capability and high-end ceiling is,” Campbell said. “It's just what he's already been through.
Nobody worked harder to get back and be on the field, and that's a gut punch. It was a gut punch for our staff.
It was a gut punch for him.”
Campbell said Granville will be back stronger next season, pointing to his faith and the way he trusts the process.
With Granville out, Jackson Ford and Liam Andrews are in line to “get some great opportunities.”
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There was more than scoring on the resume, too. Jaquan Brisker turned in a strong day with an interception and multiple tackles, Parker Washington scored despite some contract uncertainty hanging over his future, and Saquon Barkley logged a notable 42-yard rush. Joey Porter Jr. was sidelined by a back injury while his contract situation remains unsettled, and Kaytron Allen also made his regular-season debut with the Washington Commanders, adding another Penn State name to a busy opening week. [Read more 🡒]