Penn State’s offensive line depth took a hit before the season even got rolling. Redshirt freshman Will Tompkins is done for the year with an unspecified injury, leaving the Nittany Lions without a versatile interior option they had clearly valued.
Head coach Matt Campbell disclosed the news Wednesday after Lions247 asked for an update on Tompkins’ status. The injury happened during pregame warmups before the Buffalo game.
Tompkins had already positioned himself as more than just another body on the roster. He was one of four former Iowa State offensive linemen who followed Campbell and line coach Ryan Clanton to Penn State, and he came into the season as a key depth piece.
That showed in the opener. No non-starting offensive lineman played more snaps than Tompkins, who logged 28. He opened at guard and later moved to center.
Lions247 had already put him on its “stock up” list entering the season, and Clanton’s August camp comments made it clear why.
"Will Tompkins is trusted," Clanton said while assessing his August camp performance.
That trust stretched beyond one spot. Tompkins had worked his way into the conversation as Penn State’s next interior option behind the starters.
"If I told Will today at practice, you're taking every rep, he would be like, 'Yes sir. No problem.'
That's kind of what makes him special," Clanton said. "Whereas some guys would be like, "I can't wait', but in the back of their head be like, 'this guy is nuts'.
Or they're just like, 'No way. I can't do that.'
He'll take that on. He'll go until he drops."
At 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, Tompkins brings the kind of frame that fits in the Big Ten, along with an aggressive style. He was viewed as a long-term name to keep on the radar in that room, even though he won’t factor into Penn State’s 2026 plans now.
With Tompkins out, veterans Donnie Harbour and Chimdy Onoh should see more chances at guard. Backup center Vaea Ikakoula is another possible answer there.
The starting guard spots remain set with Trevor Buhr and Cooper Cousins. Both have already played at a high level and both have eligibility beyond 2026.
Tompkins arrived in the program with a strong recruiting profile. 247Sports rated him a three-star prospect and the No. 57 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, while the industry composite placed him 44th at the position and 572nd overall. He came out of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
His recruitment drew more than a dozen Power Conference programs, including Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin and the previous Penn State staff. He committed to Iowa State in February 2024 and enrolled there 11 months later.
"He was a key recruiting win for them," 247Sports Cyclones insider Alec Busse shared upon Tompkins' transfer to Penn State. "I was bullish on him coming out of high school, thought he was a good leader and could kind of set the foundation for what they want on the offensive line."
Tompkins also had to deal with a knee injury last offseason, which limited him through August 2025 camp. He never appeared in a game for Iowa State and used his redshirt there.
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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 🡒]
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