Challenged by His Coaches, Penn State's Zay Robinson Is Ready for the Spotlight

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State coach Matt Campbell announced less than ideal news Wednesday. Star receiver Koby Howard will be out for an “extended period of time,” raising questions of who will step up in his absence.

Campbell said Howard’s injury, which remains undisclosed, isn’t season-ending, but the Nittany Lions host Wisconsin at 5 p.m. Saturday nonetheless. With Howard on the sideline for the foreseeable future, Zay Robinson likely will start at slot receiver e slot as the Nittany Lions begin Big Ten action.

Now, there’s not as much pressure on Robinson as there could be. Receiver Brett Eskildsen said Wednesday that he feels “fully back” and “ready to go” after playing last week against Buffalo at less than full strength. This means Penn State still has Eskildsen and receiver Chase Sowell as veterans out wide.

Still, Robinson, a redshirt freshman transfer from Iowa State, will have more meaningful playing time as he continues to showcase his potential to the Nittany Lions.

"Listen, he's still young," Campbell said. "There's still a lot of growth for him to go. I still think his best football is in front of him. But I think he's growing at a rapid pace right now and I think he's starting to play with a lot of confidence."

Zay Robinson ‘answered’ Matt Campbell’s challenge

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Zay Robinson (2) runs with the ball against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Robinson, a 3-star recruit from Des Moines, Iowa, committed to the Cyclones’ 2025 class. Campbell has called that a recruiting victory for Iowa State, which competed against Big Ten teams for the multi-sport athlete.

Toward the end of last season, Campbell said he was considering playing Robinson more but was “in conflict” about the decision, because the NCAA’s four-game redshirting rule was still in place.

Campbell said he believed that Robinson "might have been one of the top receivers” on Iowa State’s roster in 2025, even though he played in only three games and logged one catch.

“I try to spend a lot of time with the scout offense during practice, and he was an absolute menace last year down there because of his competitive excellence,” Campbell said. “I think you got to see how dynamic he is with the ball in his hand.”

Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said that, after spring practice, he challenged Robinson, who has done a “great job” since. Campbell also said the team challenged Robinson to take a step forward.

“I think he's grown, and I think [Mouser] was right,” Campbell said. “There was more from what we saw in spring practice. We did challenge Zay to take the step forward if we were going to be the team that we wanted to be. And I think he's answered the call so far.”

Quarterback Rocco Becht has seen Robinson’s development from last season as well.

“Zay was young last year, a little immature, and I think he's been able to grow as a leader, as a player, as a person,” Becht said. “I think that's why he's able to go out there and have so much success because he puts his head down and he goes to work day in and day out.”

‘He’s just a playmaker’

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Zay Robinson (2) returns a punt against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Robinson created separation against Marshall’s secondary early in the third quarter of Penn State’s Week 1 game. Becht tossed him a pass, which Robinson took for a 39-yard touchdown as a highlight of his young career.

“He's come a long way, but Zay's always been a great playmaker, and so I think that's Zay's best ability,” Eskildsen said. “He's just a playmaker. He's able to make something out of nothing, so it's been really cool to see him develop on his route running.”

Eskildsen’s comment is notable, considering Penn State is losing a playmaker in Howard, who averages a Big Ten-best 28.7 yards per catch. Robinson might not fully replicate Howard’s production, but he still averages 16 yards per reception, which is the second-highest mark on the team among players with multiple catches.

This means that Robinson could give the Nittany Lions a big-play threat while Howard is absent. He’s already shown the ability to create explosive plays with his touchdown catch and on punt returns, where he’s taken 13 returns for 172 yards.

It’s a tough ask for Penn State to replace Howard, but Robinson is in his second season playing behind Sowell and Eskildsen, who combined for 1,000 receiving yards in 2025. He will now have the chance to start alongside them in Big Ten play and showcase why he’s earning praise from within the program.

“He watches Chase and Brett go out there and do their thing, and he wants to be exactly like them,” Becht said. “I think that's why he's able to go out there and do everything right and consistent, and that's why he's had so much great success. If that guy does get more reps, I'm excited for him, and definitely, he's another threat out there for us.”

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