Penn State’s injury list grew again Wednesday, and this time the news hit the offensive line.
After coach Matt Campbell said star receiver Koby Howard would be “out for an extended period of time,” he followed that up by announcing that offensive lineman Will Tompkins was done for the season.
Tompkins had seen action in Penn State’s first three games, logging 31 snaps overall. Most of that work came in the opener against Marshall, when he played 28 snaps.
The lineman arrived at Penn State in January after spending his true freshman season at Iowa State, where Campbell previously coached before taking the Penn State job.
A Cedar Falls, Iowa, native, Tompkins entered college with plenty of recruiting buzz. He was a three-star prospect in the eyes of both 247Sports and On3, while Rivals gave him a stronger grade, slotting him as a four-star recruit and No. 245 overall in the Rivals 300.
At 6-foot-6, Tompkins has the kind of frame that projects well to Big Ten tackle play, and Penn State clearly saw a player worth developing. He’s still more of a long-term projection than a finished product, but the staff valued his upside, physical tools and familiarity with Campbell’s program and standards.
That fit also tied into Campbell’s broader approach to roster building: add depth, create continuity up front and lean on connections from the Iowa State days to help shape the future of the Penn State roster.
During fall camp, offensive line coach Ryan Clanton described Tompkins as “trusted.”
“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.”
Tompkins redshirted as a freshman, and with “5-in-5” eliminating medical redshirts, he’s expected to have four years of eligibility remaining after this season.
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 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 🡒]
Penn State Just Lost A Dangerous Weapon Before Wisconsin
Penn State heads into its Big Ten opener against Wisconsin already having to adjust its passing game, with wide receiver Koby Howard expected to be out for an extended period after getting hurt in the Week 3 win over Buffalo. Head coach Matt Campbell confirmed Howard will miss the game, and the timing matters because Howard has been the teams receiving leader through the first three contests.
Howards absence takes away one of Penn States most productive early-season targets and forces the staff to rethink how it wants to attack a Wisconsin defense that will now have fewer reasons to account for him. The injury is not season-ending, but for a team trying to establish itself in conference play, losing a player with Howards production right before league action begins is a meaningful setback. [Read more 🡒]