Penn State is 2-0 and sitting in the kind of early-season spot most teams would take in a heartbeat. The wins have come cleanly, the rankings picture looks favorable, and there’s plenty for the Nittany Lions to feel good about.
Still, the first two weeks have also surfaced a handful of issues worth watching as Week 3 approaches. Injuries have hit, some parts of the offense have been uneven, and a few details from the Temple game stood out in ways that could matter later. Here are five situations around the program that deserve attention this week.
The toughest blow may be the one Penn State can’t do much about: Max Granville is out again. After working his way back from a season-ending injury in training camp last year, the defensive end gave Penn State a glimpse of what he could bring in Week 1 against Marshall.
Then he was injured in practice last Thursday, and it became another season-ending setback. That leaves the Nittany Lions without the pass rusher they expected to lean on most, a rough turn for a player who had already fought his way through so much to get back on the field.
The tight end room, on the other hand, delivered a much more encouraging development against Temple. Benjamin Brahmer was the headline, piling up 79 yards and two touchdowns after the group was relatively quiet in Week 1.
Andrew Rappleyea only had one catch for five yards, but that number doesn’t tell the whole story - Rocco Becht missed him on a wide-open touchdown, and that play could have made his day look very different. If this level of production keeps coming from the tight ends, it only adds another layer to an offense that already has plenty of weapons.
One receiver who still hasn’t gotten rolling is Brett Eskildsen. He came in with expectations after leading Iowa State in receiving last year, and there was reason to think he’d be a steady piece right away.
Instead, he’s been mostly quiet through two games with just 59 receiving yards. Penn State’s receiver group has shown off some real star power, but Eskildsen hasn’t been part of that yet.
There’s still time, and the depth in the room may eventually create the right opening, but offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser will need to find a way to get him more involved.
Then there’s Ryan Barker, who has been so reliable for so long that one off day stands out. Entering Saturday’s matchup against Temple, he had gone 28-32 on field goals in his Penn State career.
Against the Owls, though, he missed a 33-yard attempt on the opening drive, and even though he made his next two kicks, one of those later attempts came dangerously close to missing as well. Given how steady he’s been since joining the Nittany Lions in 2024, this looks more like a temporary wobble than anything bigger.
And that brings us to the bigger team-wide question: what happens when the mistakes get punished? Penn State still rolled past Temple, but there were signs that won’t fly against stronger opponents.
The Nittany Lions left at least 10 points on the field because of mental-mistake penalties and missed field goals, and they also came away empty on their first two trips into the red zone. Those are the kinds of lapses that can disappear in a comfortable win and decide a tighter one later.
This is the first time Matt Campbell’s team didn’t play close to perfection, so the response this week will be worth watching.
In Other News...
Buffalo Coach Sees One Clear Problem With Facing Penn State
Pete Lembo had plenty to say about what Buffalo is walking into at Beaver Stadium, and his breakdown came with the kind of specificity that usually comes only after a coach has spent real time studying an opponent. The Buffalo head coach pointed to Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas, a player he once recruited at South Carolina, and also singled out middle linebacker Kooper Ebel as a steady defensive presence. He did not stop there, either, adding praise for quarterback Rocco Becht and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig as he sized up a roster that looks deep enough to challenge almost every phase of the game.
For Penn State, the interesting part is not just that an opponent noticed the obvious talent. It is that Lembo framed the matchup around the parts of the roster that can tilt a game before the box score ever settles in, from defense to special teams to the quarterback spot. When an opposing coach comes away talking in those terms, it usually means he sees only one clean path for his own team, and it is not the easy one. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Spending Reality Just Raised A Bigger Contender Question
Penn States place in the new college football financial order is getting harder to ignore. The Nittany Lions projected 2026 roster budget sits in the $29 million to $32 million range, a number that leaves them 21st nationally and seventh in the Big Ten, well behind the sports biggest spenders such as Ohio State and Oregon. In a league where roster construction has become as much about money as recruiting, that gap is a real part of the conversation around how Penn State keeps pace.
The roster churn only sharpens the issue. Penn State has 62 new players this season, including 40 transfers, and the program has had to navigate the balancing act of holding onto key contributors while adding talent through the portal. Matt Campbell has managed the budget pressures by keeping important pieces in place and bringing in transfers from his previous team, but the broader question remains whether that approach is enough for Penn State to stay in the same competitive tier as the leagues highest rollers. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Have Found Its Next Tight End Problem For Defenses
A new tight end presence has already started to change how Penn State can attack defenses. Benjamin Brahmer, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound transfer from Iowa State, has played two games and wasted little time making himself part of the conversation, catching six of nine targets for 87 yards and three touchdowns while flashing the kind of size and versatility that usually creates problems for opposing coverages.
Brahmers value has gone beyond the stat sheet, too. His strong pass-blocking grade and the trust he earned from quarterback Rocco Becht at Iowa State point to a player who can help in multiple phases, and the early signs around his physical development have only added to the intrigue about how high his ceiling might be at tight end. If this is just the start, Penn State may have found a matchup piece defenses will be forced to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]