How Matt Campbell Evaluated His First Penn State Football Roster

The Nittany Lions coach spent two months reshaping the program. "Do I feel really good about our roster? Boy, I do," Campbell said.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks during a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

STATE COLLEGE | After two months during which he remade the Penn State football roster and staff, Matt Campbell returned to Beaver Stadium on Wednesday for his first press conference since December. Campbell described those two months as a "whirlwind in a lot of different ways." But he also appeared to be comfortable with where his team stands.

"It's been a joy to watch this thing come together," Campbell said.

Most interestingly, Campbell spent nearly 7 minutes answering one question about his roster, synthesizing a variety of topics around one theme: how everyone has come together through change. Here are the highlights from Campbell's roster breakdown.

RELATED: What does Penn State have planned for the Blue-White Game?

Penn State has a 'really competitive roster'

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell speaks at a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

Campbell thoroughly overhauled Penn State's roster, bringing in 55 new players between the transfer portal and the 2026 recruiting class. Twenty-four of those transfers played for Campbell at Iowa State last season.

Penn State also retained 52 players from its 2025 roster across multiple classes, which Campbell called important in building a rounded team. Still, players and coaches continue getting to know each other.

"One thing we're all going through, there's a common thread, and it's change," Campbell said. "...
How you handle change and how you grow through change I think will really dictate who those players are. Do I feel really good about our roster? Boy, I do. I feel like we have a really
competitive roster."

Campbell is pleased with the quarterbacks room

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell celebrates with quarterback Rocco Becht after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Penn State turned over its scholarship quarterbacks room entirely, bringing in five new players, notably former Iowa State starter Rocco Becht. The only returning quarterback is walk-on Jack Lambert.

Campbell lavished praise upon Becht, a three-year starter who won 26 games with the Cyclones. He had offseason surgery on his non-throwing shoulder and is ahead of his rehab schedule, quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said. Campbell said that Becht fits not only his system but also at Penn State.

"I don't think any quarterback in college football coming back has won more times with the last possession of the game than what Rocco Becht has done during his time as a starter," Campbell said. "I think for him, he fits what I believe Penn State football is: Integrity, character, class, excellence, grit. He embodies every one of those traits.

"... He's one of the greatest leaders I've ever been around. He played last year. This poor guy had to play with a torn labrum on his non-throwing shoulder [last season]. He had to get shot up every Tuesday and Wednesday just to practice the last four weeks and play, and the guy gave us every chance to win every one of those games every step of the way. He's as tough and as competitive as any football player I've ever been around."

Penn State also signed former Iowa State quarterback Alex Manske, Division III All-American Connor Barry and two freshmen: Kase Evans from Texas and Peyton Falzone from Pennsylvania.

"I feel like we gave help to the quarterback room from top to bottom," Campbell said.

Turning the receivers room into a strength

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Koby Howard runs with the ball during the first quarter of the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State had a multi-year production issue at wide receiver, which Campbell and position coach Noah Pauley seek to rectify. Campbell noted that the position was an offensive leader at Iowa State.

"I think that's an area we feel really confident in because, man, for the last 10 years, that receiver room at Iowa State, that's been our staple," Campbell said. "And I know we're coming to a place where we've kind of got to reshape that a little bit and bring that back to life."

He'll do so largely with former Cyclones. Chase Sowell and Brett Esklidsen were Iowa State's leading receivers last season, while Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins (who is 6-5) were freshmen at Iowa State. Penn State also signed 6-4 Keith Jones Jr., who caught 32 passes at Grambling last year.

"I feel like there's competition there," Campbell said. "How does that competition evolve? Who comes out of it? What is their top-end ability?"

Ohio State's James Peoples really intrigued the staff

Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples (20) hurdles over UCLA Bruins defensive back Cole Martin (21) in the first half at Ohio Stadium. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Carson Hansen, Iowa State's leading rusher last season, temporarily sits atop Penn State's depth chart. But when Peoples entered the transfer portal after one season at Ohio State, Campbell got involved quickly.

Though Peoples (5-10 206) carried the ball just 61 times in 14 games, Campbell projected a multi-purpose back in Penn State's offense.

"We were really excited when the James Peoples situation came into play," Campbell said. "... There was a lot of excitement from our end because we thought, could we get a great complement to Carson? [Peoples is a ] guy that, as well as a being great downhill runner who's physical, he has a really impressive build. But he also has got that kind of ability to hit a home run anytime he touches the ball.

"He's got great receiving ability. He's got the ability to be a great catcher out of the backfield. He is physical enough to block on third down, and he's also a guy that can run inside and outside and has the ability to do really special things. I think what you feel like is you've got a great one-two punch."

The tight ends will be an assets again

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea reacts after running the ball during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Tight end already stands out as perhaps Penn State's best position room. Campbell believes he has three gems in Mackey Award nominee (at Iowa State) Ben Brahmer, Iowa State transfer Gabe Burkle, who tore an ACL in November; and Penn State's returning standout Andrew Rappleyea.

"I think at tight end, you bring in a Mackey Award semifinalist, and you pair him with Rapp, who's one of the best tight ends in the country, then another NFL tight end in Gabe Burkle, who tears his ACL in the [2025 Kansas] game, and you'd say he's one of the top 10 tight ends in all of college football," Campbell said.

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