Penn State’s 2026 roster overhaul is so big that a few important names are already getting lost in the shuffle. With 60 new players in the building under first-year coach Matt Campbell, the Nittany Lions are about to find out which newcomers and returners can actually tilt the season.
Some of the most influential pieces may not be the ones drawing the loudest buzz right now. But if Penn State hits its ceiling, these are the kinds of players who usually end up sitting at the center of it.
The biggest reset came up front, where the defensive line lost all four starters from last season. Penn State responded by loading up on size inside, bringing in four players who check in at 310 pounds or more. Among that group, defensive tackle Keanu Williams looks like the one who could matter most.
Williams is listed at 6-5 and 317 pounds, and right guard Cooper Cousins didn’t exactly hold back when talking about him. Cousins said he expects Williams to be “an elite defensive tackle in this conference this year.”
That comment mattered because it came unprompted, after Cousins was asked about the defensive line as a whole during training camp. With that kind of praise coming from the other side of the ball, Williams is tough to picture anywhere but the starting lineup. He also brings familiarity with defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, having played for him in 2023 at UCLA.
Williams appears positioned to line up next to fellow UCLA transfer Siale Taupaki at defensive tackle. Taupaki has drawn attention for being in his eighth season, and Nnodim turned in a strong offseason even though he missed some camp time. Even so, Williams could wind up leading the entire new-look front.
Penn State also has a very different kind of security blanket behind quarterback Rocco Becht than it did earlier this offseason. The backup job was a question mark until Alex Manske got back on the field in training camp.
Campbell said in late July that Manske had been cleared for football activities. Then in mid-August, the Iowa State transfer explained why he missed spring drills: he had open-heart surgery in March.
Once he was back in camp, Manske quickly took over the second-team offense and pulled away from senior Connor Barry, who had handled first-team reps in the spring while Becht was also limited. That matters because Becht played through injuries last year, and Penn State now has someone who could stabilize things if the starter has to miss time.
Losing Becht would still be a major blow. But Manske gives the Nittany Lions a backup who could help keep them above .500 if he were forced into action.
At linebacker, Tony Rojas is the obvious headliner after returning from his ACL injury. But Kooper Ebel is making a strong case to be just as important.
Penn State’s first-team defense leaned heavily on a 4-2-5 look during the open portions of camp, and Rojas and Ebel were rarely off the field. Ebel’s production travels with him too. He made 77 tackles for Iowa State last season and handled the defense’s communication through the headset system.
He’ll do that again at Penn State with the green dot, which makes him one of the most important players on the defense even if he isn’t the flashiest name in the room.
The offense has its own under-the-radar weapon in Quinton Martin Jr. He may not open the season as a starter with Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen leading the running back group, but his role still looks substantial.
Martin was used all over the field during 11-on-11 work in camp, getting snaps in the backfield and in the slot with the first-team offense. That versatility matches the way he flashed in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson last year, when he ran for 103 yards.
Before that, Penn State hadn’t seen much of him. After two seasons buried behind Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, Martin looks ready for a real role.
Then there’s Gabe Burkle, whose value may be easy to miss because he’s third on the tight end depth chart. Campbell called him the “best blocking tight end in the country,” and that kind of label tells you exactly how Penn State plans to use him.
Burkle is still working back from an ACL tear he suffered last November, so he hasn’t been a full participant in camp. Even so, he made the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award, given annually to the nation’s top tight end.
He also brings experience in offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s offense from Iowa State, which should help him slide back in once he’s healthy. When he does, Penn State should have another key piece to lean on.
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James Franklin confirmed the choice and had plenty of praise for Grunkemeyers approach, pointing to his work ethic, decision-making and leadership as he prepared for a fresh start. For Penn State, it is also a reminder of how much depth matters at quarterback, especially when a backup who got meaningful reps in a pinch is now heading elsewhere with a chance to run his own offense. [Read more 🡒]