Penn State enters the Rutgers opponent preview series as the kind of matchup that always carries baggage for the Scarlet Knights. The Nittany Lions beat Rutgers 40-36 in Piscataway a season ago, and now the teams meet again in late November with Penn State going through its own transition under Matt Campbell after the school moved on from longtime head coach James Franklin midseason.
That change gives the Lions a different look, but not an easy one to pin down. A lighter Big Ten schedule could help them settle in before Rutgers arrives in Happy Valley, and by then Penn State may be much more comfortable in Campbell’s first year. For Rutgers, this also shapes up as a brutal road test, coming after trips to Boston College, Maryland, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.
Penn State’s offense will look almost nothing like last season’s version. The new group features several former Iowa State players, headlined by quarterback Rocco Becht, running back Carson Hansen, and receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. Hansen gives the Lions a proven runner after going for 950 yards with the Cyclones, while Ohio State transfer James Peoples is expected to give the backfield a more explosive element and bring value as a receiver out of the backfield.
At receiver, Penn State is banking on a different kind of production than it has gotten in recent years. Sowell and Eskildsen combined for more than 1,000 receiving yards from Becht last season, and sophomore Koby Howard showed enough in limited snaps to put himself in line for a slot role. Tight end brings more pieces into the mix too, with Andrew Rapplayea back and 6’ 7” target Benjamin Brahmer joining from Iowa State along with several other tight ends from the Cyclones.
The offensive line has a mostly settled feel, at least on paper. Trevor Buhr is set at left guard, Cooper Cousins at right guard, and Anthony Donkoh at right tackle.
Left tackle remains open, though former five-star recruit Malachi Goodman appears to be the leading candidate. Texas State transfer Brock Riker could become the center and steady the unit.
Defensively, Penn State lost some of its top names, but the roster still has enough experience and transfer help to keep the group competitive. Armstrong Nnodim and Keanu Williams are expected to hold down the middle at defensive tackle, while sophomore Yvan Kemajou is the top candidate on one edge. Senior transfer Ikenna Ezeogu is in the mix at left end, and the other side could come down to Max Granville and Colorado transfer Alexander McPherson.
Linebacker has a major piece coming back in Tony Rojas, who returns after tearing his ACL. He’ll be joined by former Iowa State linebackers Caleb Bacon and Kooper Ebel. In the secondary, the starting spots look largely set: Daryus Dixson and Audavion Collins on the outside, Zion Tracy in the nickel role, and a pair of Cyclones transfers at safety in Jeremiah Cooper and Marcus Cooper Jr.
Special teams also looks strong. Ryan Barker is one of the better kickers around after making 18-19 field goals and 44-45 extra points last season. Mississippi State transfer Nathan Tiyce takes over at punter, while Koby Howard and Iowa State transfer Cam Wallace are among the top return options.
The schedule should help Penn State build momentum. The nonconference slate includes Marshall, a road game at Temple that will feel like a home game in Philadelphia, and Buffalo at home. In Big Ten play, Wisconsin opens the conference schedule, followed by a road trip to Northwestern, which beat Penn State last season in Happy Valley.
The stretch that follows is where the ceiling gets tested. Penn State hosts USC in what will likely be the whiteout game, then goes to Ann Arbor for a major matchup with Michigan. After that comes Purdue, a trip to Washington, a game with Minnesota one week before Rutgers, and then a season-ending visit to Maryland.
Rutgers has only two wins all-time against Penn State, with the last coming in 1988. Since joining the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights still haven’t beaten the Lions, though they came close in 2014 in a 13-10 loss. Last year’s home game was right there too, with Rutgers pushing back Penn State’s defensive line by three before a badly timed Kaliakmanis fumble returned for a touchdown flipped everything.
This time, Rutgers will hope to arrive with some momentum, depending on what happens against Wisconsin and Nebraska. If the offense is rolling and the defense is holding up by the time the Knights get to Happy Valley, there’s at least a path to ending the long skid against Penn State.
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The move fits a clear pattern for Rutgers, which has already added four other defensive linemen through the portal as it tries to strengthen that side of the ball. The sheer volume of activity underscores how much the staff believes the front needs reinforcements, and Kromah becomes part of a group that will be expected to raise the level of play when Rutgers gets back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing only adds to the intrigue. Washington is riding a winning streak and moving toward the playoffs, so Laney-Hamilton is stepping into a situation where every roster decision carries extra weight. For a player with a championship pedigree and a long list of stops in the league, the fit could become one of those late-season moves worth revisiting once the bracket is set. [Read more 🡒]