Koby Howard hasn’t been on the field for Penn State in weeks, but he’s still making his presence felt in a big way.
The sophomore wide receiver was out there with the rest of the position group before Penn State’s win against Washington, standing on the sideline in his jersey and watching warmups even as he was set to miss his sixth straight game. He may not be catching passes right now, but he’s still helping shape what’s happening around him.
“With him not being able to play, he's been able to help those young receivers in that room with seeing the coverages, getting with me, meeting with me, and seeing what I like, what I like from him, and he's just been a tremendous human for those guys,” Rocco Becht said Tuesday.
Howard’s return remains uncertain. Matt Campbell said his recovery is now “in a pause state,” and Howard has already been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Minnesota. The sophomore had been pushing to get back, even posting on his Instagram story with a picture of the Star Wars “Bacta Tank,” dated Oct. 17 - a timeline that would have lined him up to return against Michigan, nearly a month ago.
“We were trying to beat a timeline coming back, and I think the reality is, I've continued to say I refuse to put Koby on the field until he's 100% ready to go back on the football field,” Matt Campbell said. “And so whether that pause means the end of the season, whether it's postseason play, I can promise you, I will let you guys know. But right now, I think we're in a pause state to make sure we get him fully 100% back to help.”
What’s been just as notable as the injury itself is the way Howard has carried himself since it happened against Buffalo. He’s gone from a quiet presence to someone his teammates now point to as a leader, and that growth has stood out inside the receiver room.
“The biggest thing that I've definitely seen him grow in is just being socially expressive,” wide receiver Chase Sowell said Wednesday. “When I first got here, I literally thought he just didn't like us.
He’s just a closed off guy, doesn't talk a lot, goes to work, not gonna say too much. But then you obviously see kind of the smiling and the excitement that he has for our room, and it just kind of shows that we've put in the time to kind of get to know each other and kind of get to build those relationships.”
Campbell echoed that sentiment, calling Howard one of the “future leaders of our football program” because of what he’s done away from the field while recovering.
Before the injury, Howard was putting together a season that was trending toward something special. In three games, he had 344 receiving yards and three total touchdowns, and his 28.7 yards per reception technically leads the country, though he has only 12 catches.
Even now, Howard looks like more than a sidelined player. While Penn State moved on without him after he emerged as a dependable target for Becht in the nonconference schedule, the “what if” still hangs over the season. Standing on the sideline against Washington, he kept a football in his hands the whole time, watching his group work and staying locked in.
“I’m excited to have him on that side as another coach, but obviously a little bit upset that we’re putting it on pause,” Becht said. “But again, we just got to go out there and do our jobs with the guys that we have, and we have a lot of great guys in that room that can go out there and make plays.”
In Other News...
Penn State Faces A Bigger Concern Than One Encouraging Injury Update
Penn State got a useful bit of news on the injury front this week when offensive lineman Malachi Goodman was upgraded to probable for Saturdays game against Minnesota at Beaver Stadium. In a season where availability has mattered as much as anything else, getting another body closer to full strength on the offensive line is the kind of update the Nittany Lions can use, especially with the conference schedule tightening and every snap carrying a little more weight.
Still, the larger concern is the overall shape of the availability report, which leaves wide receiver Koby Howard officially out and puts three defenders Jahmir Joseph, Jeremiah Cooper and Caleb Bacon in the questionable column. Five players are already ruled out, including Howard and four defensive players, so even with Goodman trending in the right direction, Penn State is still staring at a depth test on both sides of the ball heading into a game that could demand clean execution from the first series on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Win Still Exposed A Problem Mike Rhoades Cant Ignore
Penn State left the Bryce Jordan Center with a 72-57 win over Mercyhurst and a 3-1 record, but the mood afterward was anything but celebratory. Mike Rhoades made it clear the Nittany Lions were not close to where they need to be, pointing to a lackluster performance that still left plenty of room for concern before Big Ten play begins.
Ivan Juri continued to be the bright spot, posting his fourth straight double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Even with that kind of production, Penn State could not fully separate itself from a Mercyhurst team led by Jake Lemelmans 20 points, a reminder that the early-season margin for error is already shrinking for Rhoades and his group. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces Another Nerve-Racking Test Under The Lights
Penn State heads into another primetime setting with a familiar kind of pressure attached, this time against Minnesota in Week 11. The matchup has the feel of a game that could hinge on execution more than flash, with the preview leaning heavily on defense, field position and whichever side can produce the most timely plays when the lights are brightest.
The predictions from the staff point to a tight, competitive night rather than a runaway, and the player-of-the-game picks reflect how much this one could come down to a single standout performance. For Penn State, the bigger question is whether the Nittany Lions can handle the nerves and turn a tense atmosphere into another controlled finish, or whether Minnesota can make it uncomfortable deep into the game. [Read more 🡒]