Iowa State Former Class of 2026 Commit Following Matt Campbell to Penn State

Another former Iowa State Cyclones recruit in the Class of 2026 has flipped to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Dec 8, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Matt Campbell answers questions from the media after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

This winter saw the end of an era for the Iowa State Cyclones football program.

After 10 years at the helm, head coach Matt Campbell decided it was time to move on. He accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions and was replaced by Jimmy Rogers.

With such a seismic change, roster upheaval was expected to follow. However, not even the most pessimistic of projections could have predicted what would follow.

A mass exodus occurred, with more than 50 players entering the transfer portal. A large chunk of those players followed Campbell to Penn State, and a similar outcome came with the Class of 2026.

Elijah Reeder flips from Iowa State to Penn State

Elijah Reeder (tight end/defensive end) tries cutting back inside during practice. Central Regional Football pre-season practice in Berkeley Township,NJ on August 14, 2025. | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Signing Day, the Cyclones had 22 players. With Campbell’s departure, that number has dropped to six. Just like players from the 2025 roster, a lot of Class of 2026 commits have followed to the Nittany Lions.

The most recent flip is Elijah Reeder. An edge defender from Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey, he announced his commitment to Penn State on Jan. 21 after decommitting from Iowa State.

A three-star recruit, Reeder received a strong 89 ranking from 247Sports. He was the No. 56-ranked Edge defender and No. 9-ranked player in New Jersey. Based on their composite, he was a top-500 recruit, coming in at No. 496 as the No. 50 Edge defender and No. 8 player in the state.

He was incredibly productive during his senior year with Central Regional. As shared by 247Sports, he recorded 50 tackles, 19 of which went for a loss, with eight sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Blessed and thankful to announce my commitment to play football at Penn State to continue my athletic career. Thank you to all the coaches who recruited me and everyone who supported me along the way.
WE ARE!
#Committed @CoachMC_PSU @BrianDohn247@Central_Reg_FB @ColeeCFB pic.twitter.com/zSgJ3vwMeR

— Elijah (@elijahreeder13) January 21, 2026

Reeder was a late addition to the Cyclones class originally, sneaking in a visit to Ames right before Signing Day on Dec. 3 and committing to the program after.

Upon decommitting from Iowa State, he received an offer from the Nittany Lions the same day and had his sights set on them. Campbell-led programs were the only Power Conference schools to make an offer to Reeder before he received one from the Missouri Tigers on Dec. 17.

Reeder is at least the ninth player to flip his commitment from the Cyclones to Penn State since the coaching change.

His loss from the Class of 2026 was a sizable one for Iowa State. But, Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit have done a great job replacing the players who departed with several players and commits flipping to Iowa State from Washington State.