Penn State’s 2026 roster is now filled out from the transfer and recruiting side, with all 55 newcomers officially on board. That group includes the full 15-player 2026 recruiting class, and the last two freshmen were added this week.
One of those additions is Elijah Reeder, the defensive end Matt Campbell once called a “hidden gem” in his Iowa State recruiting class. Reeder originally was headed from New Jersey to Ames, and now he’s landed at Penn State after signing with Iowa State last December as a 4-star prospect and the highest-ranked player in the Cyclones’ class. The 247Sports Composite lists him as the No. 26 defensive end nationally and the No. 4 overall prospect in New Jersey, where he played at Central Regional High.
Reeder’s rise came after he was a 3-star prospect and a late mover in the class when he committed to Iowa State. Campbell pointed to that kind of development during Iowa State’s Signing Day press conference in early December, just days before he took the Penn State job.
"It's going to be really fun to see where he's got the ability to go," Campbell said during Iowa State's Signing Day press conference. "We're always going to keep some scholarships back every year for these purposes - who shines as seniors. I've always felt that ... a lot of the guys in our program who have had great careers have been taken because we've got to watch their senior year and evaluate them, and they came here and had great careers."
At 6-6 and 210 pounds, Reeder still needs time in the weight room before he looks like a Big Ten edge rusher, but the production is already there. He had eight sacks and 19 tackles for loss last season, giving Penn State a long, disruptive lineman with obvious upside.
"Sometimes we've got to wait to do things every once in a while, because I feel like sometimes when we do things too early, the whole world finds out," Campbell said. "Sometimes you've got to keep it close to your vest, and I think Elijah is one of those guys."
The other new Nittany Lion is linebacker Keian Kaiser, a 6-4, 215-pound defender from Sidney, Nebraska. Kaiser also signed with Iowa State last December and brings a wide-ranging athletic background with him.
As a senior at Sidney High, he played both offense and defense in football, piling up 111 tackles and 38 receptions, with nine touchdowns. He also averaged 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in basketball and finished second in the state high jump as a junior.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Kaiser was a top-five player in Nebraska and a top-60 linebacker nationally. He enters a Penn State linebacker room that is already crowded and experienced, though he shares some traits with Caleb Bacon, who is set up for a big season.
With Reeder and Kaiser now officially listed, Campbell’s first Penn State recruiting class is fully on campus. Eleven of the 15 players enrolled in January, while the other four arrive this summer. That group includes offensive lineman Pete Eglitis and punter Lucas Tenbrock, both of whom will have a chance to compete for starting jobs as freshmen.
Penn State’s 2027 roster has climbed to 112 players, and that total also includes a new wave of freshman walk-ons. Among them is receiver Hank Lustig, who played at State College High last season and is the son of Penn State special teams coordinator Justin Lustig.
Penn State opens training camp in early August and begins the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at home against Marshall.
In Other News...
Former Penn State Back Just Added Another Sting To A Familiar Rivalry
A former Penn State running back has resurfaced in a place that should feel familiar to anyone who has followed the recruiting crosscurrents around the Big Ten. Tikey Hayes spent the spring at Iowa Western Community College after leaving Penn State, where he appeared in one game as a true freshman before entering the transfer portal. Now he is back on a Power Four roster, and Nebraska is giving him a look as fall camp approaches.
For the Cornhuskers, the timing matters because the running back room is open enough for newcomers to make a case, and Hayes arrives with enough background to be more than a camp body. His path has already taken him from Happy Valley to junior college and now to Lincoln, which adds another layer to a rivalry thread that has quietly been building between Nebraska and Penn State in the recruiting and transfer space. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Staff Sees Real Promise In Rocco Becht And Real Concerns
Penn States quarterback evaluation of Rocco Becht has a familiar blend of praise and polish-the-rough-edges realism. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters pointed to the traits that make Becht stand out ahead of the 2024 season, starting with his competitiveness and the way he processes the game. They also liked the arm talent and the deep-ball accuracy that lets receivers run under throws, which is the kind of trait coaches notice quickly when theyre trying to project how a passer will handle bigger moments.
Waters and Mouser also saw a quarterback who can make smart decisions in tight spaces and trust himself when the windows close. Still, the conversation around Becht was not all upside, because the staff was just as direct about the areas that still need work before he can fully match the promise they see. How he handles those details in the months ahead will go a long way toward determining whether the flashes become something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]