7 Iowa State Cyclones Coach Matt Campbell Could Bring to Penn State

After Matt Campbell left Iowa State for Penn State in early December, the Cyclones experienced a mass exodus of their roster. When the NCAA Transfer Portal opened Friday, 47 Iowa State players had entered.

With the Nittany Lions roster facing plenty of turnover, many of Campbell’s former Cyclones players are likely to follow him to Happy Valley. We’re highlighting seven Cyclones who would be a good fit for Penn State.

Quarterback Rocco Becht

Former Iowa State QB Rocco Becht tells ESPN he’s preparing to visit Penn State in the upcoming days. Now that he’ll officially be in the portal, a deal at Penn State reuniting him with his former coaching staff could come together quickly. pic.twitter.com/bo0xww3bcY
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 2, 2026

This reunion appears inevitable, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported just moments after the portal opened at midnight. Rocco Becht was the 21st-ranked player in the portal when it opened, according to 247Sports, and the No. 8 quarterback. The position is the biggest unknown for the Nittany Lions’ 2026 roster, with redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer entering the transfer portal on Thursday.

Becht threw for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his third year as the starter, completing passes at a 60.47-percent clip. He threw for more than 3,100 passing yards in the 2023 and ‘24 seasons with 48 touchdowns.

Becht’s fit is undeniable, but he has just one year of eligibility remaining. Though Grunkemeyer has three years left, Campbell will go with his three-year starter who became the winningest quarterback in Iowa State history.

Wide receiver Chase Sowell

Chase Sowell is the 39th overall player and 11th-ranked wide receiver in the 247Sports portal rankings. Sowell was the second-leading receiver on the Cyclones in 2025, totaling 500 yards and two touchdowns on 32 receptions.

The Nittany Lions’ three starting wide receivers from 2025 are out of eligibility, so Campbell needs to find viable replacements. Sowell (6-3, 210 pounds) helps fill the void as a big-bodied receiver who can stretch the field vertically.

The redshirt junior played previously at Colorado and East Carolina and has eclipsed 500 receiving yards each of the past three seasons. Penn State also is pursuing fellow receiver Brett Eskildsen, who led the Cyclones with 526 yards receiving this season.

Cornerback Jontez Williams

Penn State lost two key defensive backs to the transfer portal in A.J. Harris and Elliot Washington II, and cornerback Jontez Williams is arguably the best available replacement.

Williams is the top-rated cornerback and highest-ranked former Iowa State defensive player (29th) in the portal, according to 247Sports. The redshirt junior earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors in 2024 but sustained a season-ending knee injury halfway through the 2025 season.

In his last fully healthy season, Williams totaled four interceptions, defended five passes and made 46 tackles.

Running back Carson Hansen

Penn State’s running back room took a massive hit with the departures of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. And with uncertainty surrounding the rest of the room, Campbell needs to add to the position via the portal.

It makes sense for Campbell to bring Carson Hansen with him to Happy Valley. Hansen often was the Cyclones’ best offensive player in 2025, totaling 952 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 134 receiving yards. It was the second year in a row he amassed at least 800 total yards.

Hansen is listed as a 3-star player in 247Sports’ portal rankings. The junior (6-2, 220 pounds) is a physical back who ran for 100 yards in five consecutive games to end the 2025 season.

Safety Marcus Neal Jr.

Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Marcus Neal Jr. runs with the ball after a interception against the Kansas Jayhawks. — Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Marcus Neal Jr. (31) runs with the ball after a interception against the Kansas Jayhawks. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At 6-1, 215 pounds, Marcus Neal Jr. dominated the competition in 2025. The sophomore led Iowa State in interceptions (2), solo tackles (40) and tackles for loss (11). He’s one of seven Cyclones rated as a 4-star portal player, according to 247Sports.

The sophomore was a third-team All-Big 12 selection in his first year as a starter and would be a strong fit in Penn State’s secondary. Neal will be one of the most sought-after defensive players in the winter portal.

With the Nittany Lions losing safeties Zakee Wheatley (draft) and King Mack (back to the transfer portal), Neal would be a great compliment across from Dejaun Lane, who announced his return to Penn State on Thursday.

TIght end Benjamin Brahmer

Benjamin Brahmer (6-7, 255 pounds) is the 27th-ranked player in the portal, according to 247Sports. Brahmer posted 446 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season after missing five games due to injury in 2024. In 2023, Brahmer caught 28 passes (an Iowa State record for freshmen tight ends) and was named to multiple Freshman All-America teams.

With the departure of tight ends Luke Reynolds and Khalil Dinkins, Brahmer and his presence in the red zone would be vital to the offense.

Offensive tackle Will Tompkins

Penn State's offensive line needs tackles, and Tompkins was a top-40 tackle nationally in the 2025 recruiting class, according to On3. The 6-5, 300-pound Iowa native has four seasons of eligibility remaining and a developmental future that his position coach (Ryan Clanton) can unlock in State College instead of Ames.

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