Matt Campbell's Biggest Priorities at Penn State After Spring Practice

The Nittany Lions had a productive spring but still face unanswered questions.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the field during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State has completed its 15 spring practices, but head coach Matt Campbell and the Nittany Lions have plenty to do before “the storm of the college football season” arrives. The team spent the offseason unifying the locker room and installing new schemes, but over the next few months, there are certain things Campbell must prioritize. 

“I still think the biggest growth we can make is our discipline and detail, to be honest with you, in everything we do,” Campbell said after Penn State’s Blue-White practice. “Like, the storm’s coming. We’re going to have adversity. Are we as close-knit of a football team that, when the tough days come, we can fight through down 14, we can fight through adversity, a bad quarter, a bad half, all that stuff’s coming right?”

Here’s what Penn State must prioritize during the 16 weeks until its Sept. 5 opener against Marshall at Beaver Stadium.

Getting back to the gridiron healthy

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht reacts during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State was missing several key players through spring ball who were unable to practice because of prior injuries or rehab. More than 30 players missed all or part of those 15 practices, but Campbell said that he expects most of those players back healthy for training camp. 

Those first few weeks of fall camp will be pivotal for Penn State to fully establish a depth chart and be able to accurately evaluate each player. The coaching staff has been good about keeping those players unable to practice involved. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has his players complete written tests of formations and plays. 

Some players have been ahead of schedule, like quarterback Rocco Becht and linebackers Tony Rojas and Alex Tastch, which is a good sign. Because so many players missed time, younger pieces of Penn State’s roster were able to get valuable reps. But by fall camp, the hope is that those expected starters return. 

From an offensive perspective, Becht will be back to throwing to his comfortable targets in Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. The three all followed Campbell from Iowa State, so the connection is already there — it’s just a matter of re-establishing it through Mouser’s latest scheme. 

Ironing out the defensive line

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from behind the line of scrimmage during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Questions remain about what Penn State’s defensive line will look like for the opener. Max Granville, who missed all of the 2025 season with a lower-body injury, was expected to be practicing fully after completing rehab. However, he tweaked his back, which prevented him from participating in most drills this spring.

Campbell has praised Granville’s work ethic, citing film he watched from the edge rusher’s freshman season, in which he appeared in seven games. Now entering his redshirt sophomore season, he’s expected to play a huge role on the defensive line.

Coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s defensive scheme is one Granville is excited for and already familiar with, because Lynn recruited him out of high school. 

“There’s a lot of crossover concepts from scheme to scheme, but I feel like he’s really good about just putting you in position to make plays,” Granville said earlier this spring. “A big difference is the big interior guys because that’s really going to help us free up the edges in a lot of scenarios.”

Penn State signed two players from the transfer portal who are also familiar with Lynn: Siale Taupaki, who is playing his eighth year of college football, and Keanu Williams. Both were defensive tackles for Lynn at UCLA. 

Taupaki and Williams bring great size and strength to the line and should be key contributors right away. However, since both players have dealt with injuries in the past, staying healthy is pivotal.

Who backs up Becht?

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Connor Barry (17) lines up in the backfield during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

This was expected to be an easy answer, but Alex Manske missing spring ball complicated this question. Campbell did say, however, that Manske returned to campus during the second half of drills (he had been at home in Iowa) and made progress in his return. 

Connor Barry, the Division III quarterback transfer, capitalized on his opportunity, taking a bulk of the reps during practice. According to On3, Barry earned a scholarship for his work during spring drills.

Becht had been limited and only started participating in seven-on-seven drills in the latter half of the 15 practices. However, Becht did throw more than Campbell initially expected.

“I thought [Barry] did a good job today,” Campbell said after the practice at Beaver Stadium. “For him to have to take all those reps, keep pounding forward I thought it was really beneficial for all of us.”

The rest of Penn State’s quarterback room outside Becht and Barry is young and has little playing experience. Campbell did not put a timetable on Manske’s return but said he’s “trending in the right direction for the start of fall camp.” But is that enough time to confidently name him the backup?

“In terms of where that room is, it’s going to have to continue to grow forward, especially when you’re talking about Alex missing spring,” Campbell said. “I think holistically we’ll benefit greatly that those guys didn’t get those reps and these young guys had to get reps and grow forward from where we are today.”

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