Key Penn State Player to Return, Citing 'Full Confidence' in Matt Campbell

Anthony Donkoh, Penn State's two-year starting offensive lineman who is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, announced Tuesday that he will return to the Nittany Lions next season. Donkoh, who will be a redshirt junior, is among the most critical players new coach Matt Campbell has been able to retain.

"I have full confidence in Coach Campbell, [offensive line] Coach [Ryan] Clanton and the rest of the staff, and I believe they will help restore Penn State's tradition of excellence while continuing to support my growth to be the man that God has called me to be!!!" Donkoh wrote in a social media post.

Donkoh (6-5, 326 pounds) is among Penn State's most versatile offensive linemen, having started the past two seasons at two different positions. He was honorable mention all-Big Ten in 2024, when he made 10 starts at right tackle.

This season, Donkoh shifted inside to right guard, where he started nine games. Donkoh also played two games back at right tackle, including Penn State's 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Donkoh was Penn State's second-highest graded lineman in the game, according to Pro Football Focus. He did not play in two Penn State losses against UCLA and Northwestern.

Donkoh joined Cooper Cousins in announcing their return to Penn State's 2026 offensive line, which loses four starters and position coach Phil Trautwein, who is headed to Florida. Their decisions give Campbell, Clanton and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser a base from which to build a new offensive line.

A Virginia native, Donkoh will return as Penn State's most experienced offensive player, having made 21 starts over the past two seasons. In November, Trautwein discussed Donkoh's position versatility during a conference call with reporters.

"He has played both right tackle and right guard all year, and it just kind of just depends on who we're going against and the other guys, who's healthy in the room when it comes to guards, so I've kind of been moving him around," Trautwein said. "But he's a guy who can play both. He's strong enough and powerful enough to play guard, and he's athletic enough to play out in space. If I had to say, probably [his] best position is guard, but I think he also play tackle, and that's why you see him out there playing tackle."

Trautwein also compared Donkoh to former Penn State lineman Will Fries, who also moved from tackle to guard. Fries in March signed a five-year, $88 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings after being a seventh-round pick of the indianapolis Colts in 2021.

"It was kind of the same question that people had when I moved Will Fries to guard, and a lot of people were like, 'Well, he's kind of struggling a little bit at guard,'" Trautwein said. "I was like, 'Just wait. It's just hard to transition sometimes.' And then you guys saw that he signed a five-year, $88 million deal with the Vikings to be their right guard.

"It just takes time, and just sometimes you see it when they're here at Penn State, or sometimes you see it a couple years later when they're in the NFL. But that's his role, and that's what he can be, which is really, I mean, great because that's what they want. They want guys that can play both."

Penn State's Anthony Donkoh, center, hugs interim head coach Terry Smith after the Nittany Lions' win over Michigan State. — Penn State's Anthony Donkoh, center, hugs interim head coach Terry Smith after the Nittany Lions' win over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"This past year has been nothing short of a blessing," Donkoh wrote in his social media post. "Through the adversity, trials and challenges we faced both as a team and individually, God has remained faithful through it all."

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