Penn State Faces One Big Availability Question Before Wisconsin

Penn State's latest availability report ahead of their clash with Wisconsin reveals key injuries that could impact the team's lineup.

Penn State will be without two more players when Wisconsin comes to Beaver Stadium on Saturday, with the Nittany Lions’ second Big Ten availability report listing a long group of names on the out list.

The report, released Thursday night, is the second of four that will come before kickoff at 5 p.m. Penn State and Wisconsin both have to provide injury updates, and another report is due Friday at 8 p.m. The final one should land about two hours before the game.

Penn State’s out list includes WR Koby Howard, DE Max Granville, OL Will Tompkins, LB Cam Smith, CB Christian Askew, CB Tyler Armstead, DE LaVar Arrington II, TE Cooper Alexander, CB Joshua Johnson, DE Mason Robinson and DE Dayshaun Burnett.

Granville is done for the season after suffering an undisclosed injury in practice before Penn State’s game with Temple. Howard remains out indefinitely, though head coach Matt Campbell said the injury is not considered season-ending. Smith and Askew had already been listed as questionable.

The questionable group features TE Andrew Rappleyea, C Brock Riker, C Dominic Rulli, WR Ethan Black and S Omarion Davis.

Rappleyea and Riker, two of Penn State’s top offensive players, both left last Saturday’s win over Buffalo early in the first half. The team held them out as a precaution with Wisconsin in mind. Campbell said Tuesday he sounded optimistic about Riker’s chances to play, while Rappleyea could come down to a game-time call.

Wisconsin’s notable players report was shorter, with RB Abu Sama III and WR Malachi Coleman both listed as probable.

Sama leads Wisconsin in rushing with 23 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown. He did not play against Eastern Michigan last Saturday. Sama spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Iowa State, where he split carries with current Penn State running back Carson Hansen.

Coleman has four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown this season. Both players had previously been listed as questionable.

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