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Meet the Final 4 Players of Penn State's 2026 Recruiting Class

Four new Nittany Lions will enroll this spring and join Matt Campbell's roster.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from behind the line of scrimmage during the Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell looks on from behind the line of scrimmage during the Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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The Penn State football roster isn't quite complete, as four players from Matt Campbell's 2026 recruiting class will enroll this spring. They wil join the 11 early enrollees who participated in spring practice.

Penn State was fortunate that most of its 15-player recruiting class, including two freshman quarterbacks, were on campus in January to go through winter and spring workouts. Campbell identified several freshmen who stood out, notably freshman receiver Amarion Jackson, who began spring practice at safety before moving to receiver.

To complete the class, two of Penn State's incoming freshmen play defense, one is an offensive lineman and another is a punter who has an opportunity to challenge for the starting job next season. Further, all four signed with Iowa State's 2026 class before flipping to Penn State with Campbell. Here's a look at the latest Nittany Lions to join the roster.

Defensive end Elijah Reeder

Campbell already has introduced Reeder, a 4-star edge rusher from New Jersey who actually signed with Iowa State's 2026 recruiting class last December. When Campbell got the Penn State job, he landed a re-commitment from Reeder in January. Reeder is among 12 former Iowa State commits who flipped to Penn State.

In discussing the former Iowa State class, Campbell called Reeder a "hidden gem" who committed to the Cyclones on Signing Day. Reeder recorded 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior at Central Regional High, which made two straight state-playoff appearances.

Reeder ended up being a 4-star prospect and the 26th-ranked defensive end nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. Campbell often holds back space in recruiting classes for emerging seniors, and the coach believes he found one in Reeder.

"It's going to be really fun to see where he's got the ability to go," Campbell said during Iowa State's Signing Day press conference in December. "We're always going to keep some scholarships back every year for these purposes — who shines as seniors. I've always felt that ... a lot of the guys in our program who have had great careers have been taken because we've got to watch their senior year and evaluate them, and they came here and had great careers."

Linebacker Keian Kaiser

A 3-star linebacker from Sidney, Nebraska, Keiser also signed with Iowa State in December. He then flipped to Penn State to join a position group that needs fresh talent next season.

Keiser (6-3, 200 pounds) was the fifth-ranked player in Nebraska, according to 247Sports, and the 54th-ranked linebacker nationally. He made a prolific 352 tackles during his high-school career, including 111 as a senior. A two-way player, Keiser also made 59 career receptions for 862 yards ad 15 touchdowns.

A three-sport athlete, Keiser averaged 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a junior for the Sidney basketball team and was a state runner-up in the high jump.

Offensive lineman Pete Eglitis

A promising offensive tackle from Columbus, Ohio, Eglitis initially chose Iowa State from an offer sheet that included Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. The 6-7, 290-pound Eglitis was a top-75 player in Ohio and a top-150 tackle nationally, according to ESPN.

Eglitis played for a Bishop Watterson team that won 30 straight games and two straight Division III state titles. He is one of two offensive linemen in the recruiting class, joining early enrollee Mason Bandhauer of Colorado.

Punter Lucas Tenbrock

Mississippi State transfer Nathan Tiyce had the punting position to himself this spring, but Tenbrock will make it a competition. The 6-6, 210-pound punter from Illinois was an all-state selection and the fifth-ranked punter nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite.

A former offensive tackle, Tenbrock quickly became a valuable specialist, twice being named the DuKane Conference specialist of the year. He's a punter and kicker, averaging 43 yards per attempt and putting together a perfect season in extra points.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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