Chase Sowell has given Penn State something it has been missing in big games, and Matt Campbell thinks the receiver’s response in the Washington game said plenty about the direction of the program.
Late in the fourth quarter, Washington linebacker Jacob Manu delivered a late hit on quarterback Rocco Becht. Sowell jumped in to defend Becht, going after Manu in the moment. The play was reviewed for targeting, Manu was ejected, and Sowell was hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty of his own.
Campbell said Tuesday that he saw more than a penalty sequence.
“I’ll be honest with you, I feel like that was a little bit of a spark for this football team that said, listen, we’re not going to take it,” Campbell said during his weekly press conference Tuesday.
That edge came on top of another huge night from Sowell, who has quickly become a problem for defenses. Against Washington, he hauled in four passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, including a one-handed grab early in the second half that stood out even in a strong performance. It was his third straight game with at least 95 receiving yards.
The Washington outing followed a monster showing against Michigan in Ann Arbor, where Sowell finished with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Over his last four games, he has piled up 24 receptions for 439 yards and three scores. That production looks even bigger when stacked against his first stretch in non-conference play, when he had just eight catches combined.
For Campbell and his staff, Sowell’s rise matters beyond the box score. His presence has added the kind of explosive element the wide receiver room has lacked for years in Happy Valley, and his willingness to step into the middle of a tense moment only reinforced the kind of culture the staff wants to build.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Lineup Just Raised Two Big Questions
Penn States 2026-27 wrestling roster is already loaded on paper, with 28 wrestlers, multiple national champions and senior world medalists giving Cael Sanderson another group that looks built to chase the top of the sport. Sanderson has now confirmed the weight-class assignments, which gives a clearer picture of how the lineup could take shape and where some of the biggest names are expected to land.
The roster also comes with a few moving parts beyond the obvious star power. Sanderson addressed the status and potential of several athletes as the season picture comes into focus, and the roster notes that two wrestlers are away on religious mission trips and will not compete this season. For a program that is used to having answers, those absences leave a couple of key questions hanging as the Nittany Lions sort out just how deep this lineup can be. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Bigger Concern Than One Encouraging Injury Update
Penn State got a bit of relief on the injury front this week with offensive lineman Malachi Goodman upgraded to probable for Saturdays game against Minnesota at Beaver Stadium. Wide receiver Koby Howard, meanwhile, is officially out, and the availability report still leaves plenty of uncertainty around the roster as the Nittany Lions continue to sort through who will be ready to go.
Jahmir Joseph, Jeremiah Cooper and Caleb Bacon are all listed as questionable, part of a larger group that includes five players ruled out, among them Howard and four defensive players. The encouraging news on Goodman helps, but the bigger issue for Penn State is how much depth it may have to lean on if those questionable defenders cannot answer the bell by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling Opens With A Lineup Twist Fans Need To See
Penn State wrestling opens its 2026 season at Rec Hall against Bloomsburg, bringing back a matchup that was last played in 2011. The Nittany Lions are doing it with a lineup that already has a different look, headlined by Masanosuke Ono making his collegiate debut and Mitchell Mesenbrink moving up to 174 pounds, two moves that give the opener a little extra intrigue beyond the usual early-season tuneup.
Bloomsburg arrives with some momentum of its own after bouncing back from an opening loss to win its next two, and freshman Morgan Schwarz has been one of the early standouts. For Penn State, the bigger question is not just how the lineup settles in for one dual, but how these early wrinkles fit into the larger picture as the season gets rolling at Rec Hall. [Read more 🡒]