Penn State’s injury picture got a little murkier after Week 3, and the biggest concern sits at wide receiver.
Matt Campbell said Tuesday that Koby Howard “got dinged up on that long touchdown run.” He added that, “We don't know exactly where he'll be at the end of the week." That leaves Howard in question as Penn State gets ready for its Big Ten opener against Wisconsin in Week 4.
Howard has been one of the bright spots in the early part of the season. After not getting enough run to live up to the buzz around him as a true freshman in 2025, he has taken off in 2026. Through three games, he already has two 100-plus-yard receiving performances, making him the first Penn State wideout to do that since Parker Washington and Jahan Dotson.
Against Buffalo, Howard finished with three catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, then added a 20-yard rushing score on a designed reverse. That appears to be the play where he picked up the issue.
If Howard can’t go, quarterback Rocco Becht will need even more from the Iowa State transfers around him. Becht, Campbell, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser all arrived in Happy Valley with their five leading receivers from last season in Ames, and those players at both wide receiver and tight end become even more important if the injury list keeps growing.
Campbell also addressed the status of tight end Andrew Rappleyea and center Brock Riker. Rappleyea is officially questionable after what looked like a shoulder injury suffered following his third catch against Buffalo. Riker’s injury has not been disclosed, but Campbell said he is on track to play.
Riker was replaced most of the game by Iowa State transfer Vaea Ikakoula, while veteran Dom Rulli did not get the backup center job. Getting Riker back matters for a run game that didn’t find its rhythm until the 304-yard showing against the Bulls.
Losing Rappleyea would sting more. He has become one of the better run-blockers in Mouser’s tight end-heavy system.
Penn State still has Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle at the position, along with Finn Furmanek, who caught the first pass of his career in the second half Saturday. But Brahmer is more of a receiving threat, Burkle is mainly a blocker, and Rappleyea is the most complete option the Nittany Lions have there.
In Other News...
Penn State Suddenly Has A Koby Howard Concern Heading Into Next Week
Penn States injury watch after the Buffalo game centered on a few familiar names, but Koby Howard is the one carrying the biggest question into next week. Matt Campbell said Howard was hurt on a long touchdown run, and with the Lions moving on to the next opponent, his availability is now uncertain. For a team trying to keep early-season momentum rolling, even a single injury note can matter when it involves a player who was in the middle of a scoring play.
Brock Riker appears on sturdier ground and is expected to be available for the next game, while Andrew Rappleyea and Tyler Armstead are still listed as questionable after leaving the Buffalo contest banged up. For Penn State, the focus now shifts from the box score to the training room, where the answers on a few key depth pieces could shape how the rotation looks when the Lions line up again. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Face One Annoying Hurdle For Wisconsin Opener
Penn States Big Ten opener against Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium arrives with the usual conference-stage stakes, but there is one wrinkle for fans planning their Saturday around it. The 5 p.m. ET kickoff makes for a prime-time atmosphere in State College, yet the game will not be on traditional television. Instead, it will be available exclusively on Peacock, NBC Universals streaming platform, which means anyone wanting to watch will need a subscription.
Peacocks role as a Big Ten Saturday Night home will extend beyond this matchup, with the service carrying other conference games throughout the 2026 season while also offering football and entertainment programming. For Penn State supporters, though, the immediate issue is simpler and more annoying: if they want to see the opener against Wisconsin, they will have to navigate another streaming paywall first. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Got An Early Recruiting Sign Matt Campbell Needed
Penn States 2028 recruiting class got a noticeable boost this week when quarterback commit James Armstrong climbed 40 spots in Rivals latest rankings, landing at No. 61 overall and No. 7 among quarterbacks. Even in a staff that is known to trust its own evaluations more than outside lists, movement like that matters, especially when it comes from a quarterback and especially when it helps validate the early work being done in Pennsylvania.
There is still a long way to go with this cycle, and rankings will keep shifting as more evaluations come in, but Armstrongs rise is the kind of public sign a program can point to while building momentum. Another in-state commit, cornerback Deonte Flemings Jr., went the other direction with a 50-spot drop, a reminder that the early stages of recruiting rarely tell the full story even when they offer a glimpse of where the class might be headed. [Read more 🡒]