Penn State heads into fall camp with a lot of moving parts, but the picture is starting to come into focus for Week 1 against Marshall. With Matt Campbell’s first roster overhaul bringing in 55 new players - including 40 transfers and 24 former Iowa State players - the Nittany Lions are set to look very different when the season kicks off Sept. 5.
Campbell said Penn State expects to be “fully healthy” for training camp, and that matters because several spots still need sorting out before the opener. Some jobs are already spoken for. Others are going to be decided over the next few weeks.
At quarterback, Rocco Becht enters camp with “no limitations” on his shoulder injuries and sits at the center of an offense that should lean heavily on familiar faces from Campbell’s Iowa State days. Behind him, the running back race is one of the more interesting battles. Carson Hansen is the best bet to open the year as the starter because of his history with offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, but James Peoples and Quinton Martin Jr. are both in position to push for the role.
The offensive line has a few spots that feel settled and a couple that are anything but. Trevor Buhr at left guard, Cooper Cousins at right guard and Anthony Donkoh at right tackle look locked in for Week 1 and beyond. The questions sit on the edges and in the middle.
Malachi Goodman, the redshirt freshman and former 5-star recruit, is the leading candidate at left tackle, though Campbell still views that spot as open. Owen Aliciene and Garrett Sexton are the other tackles he flagged as names to watch.
At center, Texas State transfer Brock Riker appears to have the inside track and should start while Penn State tries to build continuity up front. If the adjustment to the Big Ten proves too much, redshirt senior Dominic Rulli would be next in line.
Tight end is another spot where Penn State has options. Senior Ben Brahmer, a preseason All-American by Phil Steele, is the headliner there, especially with redshirt junior Andrew Rappleyea still working back after the injury that kept him out of spring ball. Rappleyea’s return could change how often the Nittany Lions lean into 12-personnel, but for now Brahmer is the clear centerpiece.
The receiver group has its own established shape. Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, who combined for over 1,000 yards with Becht last season, are set to start.
Sophomore Koby Howard should join them after drawing buzz despite limited playing time a year ago. Still, this room could be used in different ways depending on how Campbell wants to get his best 11 on the field, especially with the tight end depth Penn State has built.
Defensively, the front is the most unsettled part of the roster. End Ikenna Ezeogu and tackle Siale Taupaki look like the safest Week 1 bets based on experience, but the line could shift as the season develops. Armstrong Nnodim has made a strong case at defensive tackle after standing out all offseason as both a leader and a player, though UCLA transfer Keanu Williams is also in the mix.
The other defensive end spot is wide open among Alexander McPherson, Yvan Kemajou and Max Granville. McPherson flashed at Colorado as a freshman and carried that momentum into spring practices, which gives him a real chance to start. Kemajou showed promise too, and Granville’s recovery from last year’s season-ending injury puts him back in the conversation as well.
Linebacker looks far more settled. Tony Rojas is back as the anchor and is expected to be ready for fall camp after his ACL tear. Caleb Bacon and Kooper Ebel, both productive with Iowa State last season, are projected to line up beside him.
The secondary also appears mostly set, with one health question hanging over safety Jeremiah Cooper. Campbell said Cooper has a “target line” for the season-opener as he comes back from an ACL tear this offseason.
If he isn’t ready for a full workload, Jamison Patton could see more snaps and even start in Week 1. Once Cooper is fully cleared, though, he should be in the lineup.
Marcus Neal Jr., Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson are expected to hold down the rest of the secondary, while Zion Tracy works as the primary slot cornerback. Tracy’s role also means the linebackers may spend time with two of them on the field in certain packages.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Just Got A Lineup Twist Fans Need To See
A fresh court ruling has created another wrinkle for Penn State wrestlings long-term planning, and it comes with real implications for a roster that already draws plenty of attention. U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney said the recent five-for-five eligibility change, which lets athletes compete for five seasons without burning a redshirt, applies to athletes in the 2022 recruiting class, giving programs a new lens for how to project future lineups.
For Penn State, the biggest reason to care is Levi Haines, whose timeline now looks different as the 2026-27 season comes into focus. The updated lineup projections already have fans mapping out how the Nittany Lions might reload by then, but this development adds another possible layer to the picture, and it is one that could shape one of the most important spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Malachi Goodman Faces A Massive Penn State Opportunity This Camp
Penn States offensive line picture is beginning to come into focus for 2026, and it could be one of the bigger camp storylines for the program. With four new starters expected up front, the Nittany Lions are going to spend plenty of time sorting through candidates, and Malachi Goodman has put himself squarely in the conversation after redshirting as a second-year tackle with the kind of high school pedigree that drew interest from major programs.
This is the sort of opening a young lineman waits for, but it is also a reminder that nothing will be handed out. The staff has other options to evaluate as well, and the next few weeks should go a long way toward clarifying how the tackle spots and the rest of the starting five shake out. For Goodman, the chance is real, the timing is right, and camp will determine how far he can push it. [Read more 🡒]