Caleb Bacon Goes From Iowa State Walk-On to Penn State Defensive Centerpiece

Bacon, a senior linebacker, seeks to lead a turnaround at the position for the Nittany Lions.

Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) is pursued by Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Caleb Bacon (26) during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Penn State’s defense is looking for a major rebound in 2026. The Nittany Lions surrendered 20.5 points per game last year, their highest total since the 2020 shortened season. 

One of the biggest reasons for the struggles was the linebacker room, which lost star Tony Rojas to injury in late September. After Rojas, the group was not deep at all. This year, however, the linebacker room might be the best defensive unit on the team. 

And Iowa State transfer Caleb Bacon will be a large part of that. Here’s more on the stud linebacker who came over with head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State. 

Caleb Bacon

• Position: Linebacker

• Class: Redshirt senior

• Height/weight: 6-4, 242 

• From: Lake Mills, Iowa

• Previous school: Iowa State

Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) is pursued by Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Caleb Bacon (26) during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Bacon had quite an uphill battle to get to where he is today. The former Iowa State Cyclone was a dynamic linebacker in high school, making a combined 195 tackles (28.5 for loss) in his junior (2019) and senior seasons (2020).

He was a two-time all-state player, earned first-team all-state honors from the Des Moines Register as a senior and twice was named his district’s player of the year. As a senior, he led Iowa’s Class A with 103 tackles (90 solo).  

However, Bacon was an unrated recruit and walked on at Iowa State, where he redshirted in 2021. He appeared in his first game with the Cyclones in 2022, and played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman, taking all his snaps on special teams. 

Bacon then earned a scholarship and played as a reserve linebacker in 2023, appearing in all 13 contests and putting up stellar numbers. He finished with 60 tackles, which was second on the team, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. 

Unfortunately for Bacon, he sustained a lower-leg injury in Week 1 of the 2024 season against North Dakota while playing special teams. He had surgery the day after the injury and missed the entire season.

Bacon bounced back in 2025, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention after the team captain posted a 68-tackle, three-sack campaign. He added 9.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, three pass breakups and four quarterback hurries to that stat line. He received Iowa State's Nick Bassett Perseverence Award following the season.

Bacon then entered the transfer portal as a 4-star linebacker, ranking fifth at his position and 71st overall in the portal. He committed to Penn State on Jan. 4 and should line up as a starter next to Rojas for the Sept. 5 opener against Marshall. 

Bacon is expected to help stabilize a Nittany Lions defense that needs it. He is a strong tackler in his last season of eligibility and will join former teammates Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina and returning linebackers Rojas and Alex Tatsch in a room that looks much more productive.

“You take that group [Rojas and Tatsch] and then you bring in some of those Iowa State guys with the years those guys had, I think they played as good as any linebackers in the country last year,” Campbell said. “If you look at the second half of the season, with how those guys played with Ebel and Bacon, those guys are really talented, high-end football players that are going into their senior year.”

Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Kooper Ebel (47) and linebacker Caleb Bacon (26) celebrate a defensive stop against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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