Penn State’s offensive line has a new name worth tracking in August, and it comes with a little intrigue.
Brock Riker arrived from Texas State with a résumé that already looks sturdy enough to matter. The redshirt sophomore started 12 games at center last season for the Bobcats, logging 438 pass-blocking snaps without giving up a sack. At 6-4 and 291 pounds, he brings both size and experience to a spot that suddenly has a real opening.
That opening is the key. Nick Dawkins, Penn State’s starting center in 2024 and 2025, has moved on, and the battle to replace him is down to Riker and redshirt senior Dom Rulli, who backed up Dawkins a year ago. August should tell a lot about how that race is shaping up.
Penn State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton made it clear in the spring that Riker was not some under-the-radar add the staff stumbled into by accident. “His recruiting was a dog fight,” Clanton said in the spring. Clanton also believes Riker has a high ceiling at the position, which helps explain why so many top FBS programs chased him in the transfer portal.
There’s also a recent Penn State blueprint at center that gives the job added weight. Juice Scruggs went in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft to Houston and is now with Detroit, while Hunter Nourzad was taken in the fifth round by Kansas City in 2024. That’s the company Riker is trying to join, at least in terms of becoming the next trusted anchor in the middle.
And for a little extra background: Riker played left tackle at Brock High School in Brock, Texas.
DE Max Granville
CB Daryus Dixson
In Other News...
Rocco Becht Just Said What Penn State Fans Needed To Hear
Penn State is heading into 2026 with a different kind of confidence at quarterback, and Rocco Becht is a big reason why. After settling into the program and bringing more experience to the position, Becht is part of an offense that looks ready to move away from the old run-first script and into something more balanced, with the passing game expected to carry a larger share of the load.
That shift matters because it opens the door for players like Koby Howard to take a real step forward. Becht has been upbeat about Howards development, and the pairing gives Penn State a chance to build something more dynamic than it has been in recent seasons, especially if the young receiver keeps growing into a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Rocco Becht Just Revealed Why Matt Campbell Won Him Over
Rocco Bechts move to Penn State adds another layer to the quarterback room, and it also brings a familiar voice into the building. The former Iowa State starter arrives with plenty of college experience after 39 games under center, including a strong 2024 season, and he spoke at Big Ten Media Days about what made Matt Campbell such a meaningful coach during their time together in Ames.
Becht said Campbells influence went well beyond the field, pointing to the way the staff treated players as people first and built a relationship that grew over four years. For Penn State, that kind of familiarity can matter as much as any stat line, especially with a new season ahead and a quarterback still settling into a new environment. [Read more 🡒]