Penn State’s first fall camp scrimmage on Saturday will be a useful early checkpoint for a roster that already looks fairly settled in a lot of places. Matt Campbell’s first game at Beaver Stadium comes Sept. 5 against Marshall, but this weekend gives the Nittany Lions their first real chance to see how some of the new pieces fit under live conditions.
With 38 transfers and 16 freshmen in the mix, the depth chart isn’t exactly a mystery. Quarterback is set, and the only true position battle at a spot that won’t rotate several players every week is left tackle. Still, a few players have plenty riding on how they perform in the scrimmage and through the rest of camp.
One of the biggest questions sits in the backfield, where Penn State appears headed toward a three-man rotation. That usually sounds good on paper until the carries get divided up.
Someone ends up behind the others, and right now that could be Martin. Carson Hansen arrives from Iowa State after leading the Cyclones in rushing last season, and Ohio State transfer James Peoples has already earned strong praise from Campbell for his work in pass protection.
That leaves Martin in a tough spot unless he forces the issue.
He’s shown he can do that in game action. Corey Smith was expected to be the next back up when Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were out of the Pinstripe Bowl, but Martin stole the spotlight there, running for 103 yards on 20 carries.
That kind of showing is exactly why Saturday matters for him. If he brings that same edge to the scrimmage, he can make his case loud and clear.
At receiver, sophomore Koby Howard is supposed to be the breakout name, but true freshman Amarion Jackson is already making noise. Jackson, who was originally signed by Iowa State before following Campbell to Happy Valley, has reportedly been excellent in camp. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, the former three-star looks the part, and he could start pushing veterans Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen for snaps on the outside.
Camp is one thing, though. Game speed is another. A scrimmage won’t fully duplicate it, but Saturday should give Penn State its best read yet on whether Jackson’s rise is real and whether he can help right away this fall.
Then there’s Caleb Bacon, which is an unusual name to be discussing in this kind of role. The redshirt senior and former All-Big 12 honoree is in the middle of a position move, working with the EDGE group this fall after spending spring with the linebackers. Whether that switch holds is one of the more interesting camp questions left to answer.
The linebacker room is crowded, but Penn State also has talent on the edge. Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou are young players Campbell and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn are counting on to take a step forward, while transfers Ikenna Ezeogu and Alexander McPherson are expected to be important pieces of the rotation.
That leaves Bacon in a tricky spot. This is his first real run at the position, and Saturday will help show whether he can carve out snaps from that group or end up stuck between two spots without enough value at either to see the field much.
In Other News...
Penn State Fall Camp Puts One Offensive Problem Front And Center
Penn State is deep into fall camp under first-year head coach Matt Campbell, and the early work has put the offense under a familiar sort of August microscope. Position battles are still unfolding, but the staff is also using this stretch to build chemistry and sort out how the unit wants to function when the season opens. That has meant a close look at the offensive line rotations and a renewed push to get more out of a receiver room that is trying to settle in.
Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell, both transfers from Iowa State, have started to emerge as important pieces at wideout, while quarterback Alex Manske has flashed strong passing ability as the staff evaluates what the group can become. Under receiver coach Kashif Moore, the message seems clear enough: the pieces are there, but the offense still has to turn camp progress into something more reliable before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Offense Is Taking On A New Identity Under Taylor Mouser
Taylor Mouser arrived from Iowa State and quickly set about reshaping Penn States offense for its new surroundings. The staff has spent training camp figuring out what fits best, and the early signs point to a scheme built around the Nittany Lions strengths, with a heavier emphasis on the run game and more physical play at the line of scrimmage.
Mousers approach is also changing how the offense looks on the field, with multiple tight end groupings expected to be a bigger part of the foundation. Quarterback Rocco Becht has already noticed the difference, praising Mousers aggressive play-calling style, and that mindset helped sway his decision to stay in State College as the offense settles into its next identity. [Read more 🡒]