Penn State’s latest preseason scrimmage gave the Nittany Lions a small taste of what Beaver Stadium will feel like when the 2026 season opens there, and for linebacker Kooper Ebel, even the empty-seat version hit different.
“Walking out of that tunnel, I was kind of getting chills,” Ebel said Monday. “And there wasn't really even any fans in the stands, other than some family.
So just the thought of running out there, you can feel it. It's building up, and we're excited.”
That feeling is part of the backdrop as Penn State works through camp with more than 50 new players still waiting for their first real Beaver Stadium experience. The returners and coaching staff are grinding through a demanding stretch of preseason work as the program tries to launch the Matt Campbell era with momentum.
Longtime assistant coach Terry Smith said the tone of camp has been set early and often.
“I think our camp here has been really, really demanding,” Smith said. “I think it's been really physical.
I do think we have a tough football team, and that starts with the head coach. He's tough on us.
He's tough on the team. He's demanding accountability to the team.
It's blue collar, and it's what we need.”
The scrimmage itself stretched into a heavy workload, and Taylor Mouser said the challenge was obvious from the start.
“It was a lot of plays - we had like 90-something plays. It was hot and we were looking for people who were gonna tap out, and we didn't.”
Lions247 was back around the team facilities Monday to get another look at practice and follow up on who flashed during the scrimmage, with players and coaches offering their own read on the standouts.
In Other News...
Penn State Is Still Waiting On A Key Tight End Return
Penn States tight end room has had to keep moving without one of its most experienced pieces this spring. Gabe Burkle, a redshirt senior and Iowa State transfer, is expected to be one of the Nittany Lions top options at the position when healthy, but he is still working his way back from the ACL injury that cut into his 2025 season and limited him to nine games.
Even with Burkle sidelined from practice, his influence has not disappeared from the room. He has been helping younger tight ends get comfortable in the offense and sharpen their skills, a useful presence for a group that is still sorting out its depth and development. For Penn State, the timeline on Burkles return remains a meaningful subplot because his availability could shape how quickly the position settles in once the season pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Rebuilt Backfield Is Drawing Early National Attention
Penn States reworked backfield is already getting noticed beyond State College, with Carson Hansen and James Peoples both landing on the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List. The honor goes to the nations top running backs, and it gives an early hint that the Nittany Lions believe they have added real punch to a rushing attack now being shaped under new head coach Matt Campbell.
Hansen arrived from Iowa State, while Peoples came over from Ohio State, and both are expected to factor heavily as Penn State tries to establish itself on the ground again. The award race will tighten as the season goes on, with semifinalists due in November and the winner set to be announced in December, so this is only the first checkpoint for a pair of backs with plenty still to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Huge Recruiting Test With Elite 2028 Linebacker
Penn State is already laying the groundwork for its 2028 recruiting class, with three commitments in place and contact spreading across several positions. One of the early names worth watching is four-star linebacker Skylar Alston of Raleigh, N.C., a prospect whose profile fits neatly with a program that has long sold itself on developing linebackers as well as anyone in the country. He has already made the rounds on the visit circuit, including an unofficial stop in Happy Valley, and his recruitment is shaping up as the kind of multi-school battle that tends to stretch well beyond the summer.
For Penn State, the challenge is not just getting Alston on campus again, but making the connection feel deeper than a first impression. The Nittany Lions will look to lean on their linebacker tradition as they build this relationship, and a possible fall game-day visit could give them another chance to separate themselves from the pack. For now, though, the race remains crowded, and Penn State still has to prove it can turn early interest into real traction. [Read more 🡒]