Penn State heads into its Big Ten opener against Wisconsin with a familiar football reality hanging over the program: injuries are already testing the depth chart.
Matt Campbell addressed that challenge from the Lasch Building, confirming that wide receiver Koby Howard will miss an extended stretch and stressing that the response has to come from the next players in line.
“We’ve had this mentality from the get-go, this kind of next man up mentality,” Campbell said. “The rest of that room has got to continue to step up and make plays. I think when they’ve had the opportunity, they've shown and made plays too.”
With Howard sidelined after the first three weeks, Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and Zay Robinson have been the most productive receivers behind him and are expected to be the top three options going forward, with Robinson stepping into Howard’s spot.
Eskildsen, who is second on the team with nine catches, has also been dealing with bumps and bruises. His workload has dropped since a Week 1 performance against Marshall that included five receptions and a touchdown, but Campbell said the receiver is getting closer to full strength.
“He’s finally back to full strength, which is great to see,” Campbell said. “I think again, one guy goes down and one guy comes up.”
The injury list extends beyond the receiver room. Campbell said offensive lineman Will Tompkins is out for the season, while Dom Rulli has “worked himself through some tough situations” and has had “a couple setbacks along the way physically.” Thompkins was a depth piece in the opener, and Rulli has not yet appeared in a game under Campbell.
That’s part of the larger message Campbell pushed on Monday: every player on the roster matters, not just the names at the top of the depth chart.
“The reality of it is that’s why you got 105 guys on the roster,” Campbell said. “The growth has to happen for everybody.
We have to develop the whole roster, not just the guys at the top of the roster. Some guys will get some opportunities if we keep moving ourselves forward for sure.”
The nonconference schedule gave some of those younger players a chance to get their feet wet. Against Buffalo, quarterback Jack Lambert saw his first collegiate action, and running back Amar’e Glover logged two carries.
At the center of it all is Rocco Becht, who remains the engine of the offense. Campbell made clear that the system has been built around him for years.
“we've tailor made this offense for the last four years around him,” Campbell said.
Through three games, that approach has paid off. Becht ranks third in the conference with nine passing touchdowns and owns the Big Ten’s second-best passer rating at 215.3.
Campbell also pointed to Becht’s ability to process what defenses give him and deliver the ball where it needs to go.
“One of his greatest strengths is his ability when the defense presents whatever, his ability to get the ball to the right space at the right time,” Campbell said. “Whether that’s a run pass option with the play call, I think Rocco has this elite ability to put the offense in the best position now.”
For Campbell, the formula is simple: keep building the depth, keep developing the roster and keep leaning on the quarterback who has already become the focal point of the attack.
In Other News...
Penn State Staffer Faces Serious Off-Field Legal Trouble
A Penn State assistant coach is now dealing with an off-field situation that is drawing attention in State College and around the program. Jordan Lucas, the Nittany Lions assistant cornerbacks coach, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of DUI and three summary traffic violations after police found him asleep in a vehicle downtown with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.
The stop came after officers found the vehicle illegally positioned in a crosswalk, with Lucas also listed as having a suspended drivers license and an expired vehicle registration. Penn State acknowledged the charges and said Lucas remains with the program while the legal matter moves forward, leaving the university to manage both the public fallout and the uncertainty around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Offensive Line Just Got Thinner At The Worst Time
Penn States offensive line depth took another hit at an unwelcome time, with Will Tompkins ruled out for the season because of injury, according to coach Matt Campbell. Tompkins had played 31 snaps across the first three games after transferring in from Iowa State, giving the Nittany Lions another experienced body in a position group that can never have enough of them.
The setback leaves Penn State without a player it had hoped could help stabilize things as the year unfolded, and it also delays any chance to see how he might have fit into the rotation over a full season. There is still some long-term silver lining: Tompkins is expected to keep four years of eligibility after this season, so his Penn State story is far from over even if this one now pauses before it really got going. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States RB Battle Just Got Tougher To Ignore Entering Big Ten Play
Penn State spent the nonconference slate getting a closer look at four running backs, and the rotation did not make the answer any simpler. Carson Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace all got chances to show what they can do, but the way those carries were distributed also made it clear this job is still open as Big Ten play arrives.
Martin stood out most against Buffalo, where his versatility in the passing game added another layer to his case, while Peoples continued to show growth and a knack for finding the end zone. Those two now look like the clearest candidates to head the depth chart, even if the staff has not committed to one lead option yet, and the coming conference games should tell whether Penn State leans toward the more dynamic all-purpose threat or the back who has been quickest to turn touches into points. [Read more 🡒]