Linebacker Amare Campbell Arrived at Penn State at the Right Time

The Nittany Lions needed help at linebacker. Campbell, who spent two seasons at North Carolina, is providing it.

North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Amare Campbell celebrates after recording a sack against the Virginia Cavaliers in 2024. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Amare Campbell wasn’t a highly ranked recruit in high school. He was a 3-star prospect out of Virginia, the 109th-ranked linebacker nationally and 35th-rated player in his home state, according to the 247Sports Composite. Penn State linebackers coach Dan Connor scouted Campbell then and was a fan despite seeing one potential limitation.  

But the Nittany Lions didn’t offer Campbell, who committed to North Carolina in August 2022. Nearly three years later, Campbell transferred to Penn State, and Connor is kicking himself for not extending that offer years ago. 

“I look back on my evaluation coming out of high school,” Connor said. “I loved him. He was on the shorter side, maybe six feet. But I loved his tape coming out. I kind of wish we were able to get him back then, but he went out to North Carolina and proved himself.

“And you look back and you kick yourself. He’s been great for us [so far] and I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

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Campbell could earn key role in Penn State’s defense

North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Amare Campbell pursues Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Campbell (6-0, 231 pounds) arrives at Penn State at the right time. After Kobe King departed for the NFL draft, the Nittany Lions’ linebacker room was thin. It lost its most productive linebacker and the player who called the defense.

King played middle linebacker, communicating plays to the defense and changing calls when needed. Among the questions Penn State’s defense faced this offseason was, “Who will take over that role?” Campbell said he’s playing middle linebacker at practice. 

“I feel like I can control the defense well,” Campbell said. “I could get the D-line set up. Just being vocal, I’m used to that. I was doing that previously at my other schools, being vocal, being that center point of the defense.”

Campbell entered the program as advertised, his new teammates and coaches said. Connor said the junior has been a “great fit” for the Penn State culture. Three years later, it seems pursuing his football career in State College was all but destiny for Campbell.

His hard-nosed, get-to-work mentality aligns with the Nittany Lions’ culture and was evident almost immediately on Campbell’s visit to Penn State in April. It was a driving factor in Penn State extending an offer and was a main reason Campbell has gelled with the locker room. 

“You see him start to work all summer and you see how he blends in,” Connor said. “How is he in the room? That’s always the biggest concern with a transfer, and he’s just been a great presence. He’s a vet. He’s done it, you know. He’s done it at a high level and comes in here and he’s still humble, still hungry. He doesn’t have any hotshot, arrogant mentality. He’s a worker. That fits what we are.”

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Why Campbell chose Penn State

North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Amare Campbell (17) forces a fumble on Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Campbell has translated that mentality from the locker room to the football field. Since he enrolled at Penn State after spring practice, the linebacker has spent countless hours learning the playbook. Connor said that Campbell is a fast learner, which is difficult to do in a Jim Knowles system. 

But Campbell has had to learn quickly during his career. Knowles is his third defensive coordinator in three college seasons.  

“You see him apply all these meetings. That’s really all we’ve been doing all summer, to get him prepped,” Connor said. “When you see how quick he can apply it on the field at full speed, I mean, that’s what’s most impressive. That’s what you have to do when you get to that next level in the NFL. It’s, how fast can you apply a meeting to play? And he’s a guy who can do it pretty much right away.”

While the culture fit was there, why else did Campbell transfer to Penn State? The ability to compete for one of the best teams in the country was important. Joining ‘LBU’ was also a major factor. But teammate Tony Rojas, a fellow Virginia native, recruiting him might have been the biggest reason.

“[Rojas] definitely played a big part. You know, it’s not [easy] leaving a place that I was at for two years,” Campbell said. “That familiarity with him being from the same area, just knowing I have someone here that I can talk to. … He was just welcoming. He wanted me to come here.”