One of Penn State’s defense pieces is back on the shelf, and this time the wait stretches all the way to next season.
Defensive end Max Granville suffered a season-ending injury at practice this week, Matt Campbell announced after Penn State’s win over Temple on Saturday. Campbell did not say what the injury was.
It’s a brutal turn for Granville, who had already missed the entire 2025 season after getting hurt while working out at home over the summer. Now he’ll be sidelined for a second straight year.
“A really tough blow for our football team, and really, most importantly, a really tough blow for Max,” Campbell said postgame. “The thing I love about Max is he's kind of been a pillar of glue for the unity of our football team over the last nine months. Who he is, what his character is, and I think that's why I think we're all really convicted that he'll come back better than ever.”
Granville had just made his return to the field in Week 1 against Marshall, his first game action since last year’s injury. He finished that game with one pass breakup, briefly went down during the contest, then came back in.
His rise had already started turning heads in 2024, when he reclassified to join Penn State a year early and appeared in seven games. He even stepped in for Abdul Carter on certain Fiesta Bowl snaps, a sign of how much trust the staff already had in him.
This season, Granville was expected to be one of the top three defensive ends in the rotation before the injury halted that plan.
“Max is like a rock to us, and he will be for the future,” linebacker Tony Rojas said. “Just having him along with us on away games is going to be awesome for us and something we need.”
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has A Week 2 Availability Problem To Watch
Penn State heads into its Week 2 matchup with Temple already juggling some early-season injury uncertainty, and the latest update from Matt Campbell added a few names to keep an eye on. Defensive end LaVar Arrington II is expected to miss four to six weeks after knee surgery, while offensive tackle Owen Aliciene and defensive tackles Armstrong Nnodim and Alijah Carnell were all listed as questionable as the Nittany Lions continued preparing for the game.
There was better news elsewhere on the depth chart, with tight end Gabe Burkle and linebacker Alex Tatsch both probable to return after working back from injuries. For a team trying to settle into the rhythm of the season, the availability picture matters on both sides of the ball, especially with the front still sorting out who will be ready to go when Temple comes to town. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces An Early Test On The Edge In Week 2
Penn State is already dealing with a hit to its edge depth heading into Week 2, as defensive end Max Granville will sit out the Temple game because of injury. Granville took part in the season opener against Marshall, logging 22 defensive snaps without showing up on the stat sheet, but he was still part of the early rotation the Nittany Lions were trying to settle.
His absence puts a little more pressure on the defensive end group to hold up as Penn State tries to move to 2-0 under head coach Matt Campbell. Early September is often about sorting out roles as much as chasing wins, and this is one of those spots where the staff will have to adjust quickly while waiting to see how long Granville is sidelined. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Gets An Early Test As Key Lions Near Return
Penn State heads into its 2026 trip to Temple with a chance to keep building on what it showed against Marshall, when the offense leaned on explosive plays, yards after the catch and a steady running back rotation to create separation. The defense also left reason for optimism, especially in the secondary, where the Lions handled their business well enough to make that early road opener feel like more than a tune-up.
The bigger picture is that this one arrives as Penn State starts a stretch of five road games in 2026, so getting healthier now matters. There is also some movement to watch on the depth chart, with the staff expecting a couple of key players back in the mix after missing last week, while Temples tendencies on both sides of the ball should offer a different kind of test than Marshall did. [Read more 🡒]