Penn State Football Hosts Potential Transfer LB; Big Honor for QB Recruit

The Nittany Lions' busy offseason rolls onward, as James Franklin continues building a championship contender.

Penn State coach James Franklin walks on the field during the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State recruiting never sleeps as the contact period rolls onward. The Nittany Lions are hosting another portal linebacker, and a 2026 quarterback recruit took a major step this weekend. To the Penn State football recruiting notebook.

A potential transfer linebacker visits

Penn State continues to entertain potential transfer linebackers, as former North Carolina defensive standout Amare Campbell is visiting the Nittany Lions. Campbell posted a shot of State College on his Instagram account.

Campbell entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in late Aprl after making 76 tackles, tied for second on the team, and 6.5 sacks for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season. The 6-0, 230-pound linebacker played two seasons at North Carolina and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Campbell was a 3-star prospect at Unity Reed High in Virginia, where he was a top-30 player in the commonwealth as a senior, according to ESPN. Campbell is the eighth-ranked linebacker in the portal, according to 247Sports.

Penn State coach James Franklin has made clear that he's in the market for a transfer linebacker, with Campbell being the second to visit. The Nittany Lions recently hosted Mohamed Toure, a former All-Big Ten linebacker at Rutgers who entered the portal this year.

Toure is a productive linebacker when healthy (he led the Scarlet Knights in tackles for loss and sacks in 2023) but missed two seasons because of injuries. Toure's brother Vaboue is a promising defensive back for Penn State. Penn State could sign Campbell and/or Toure as part of its move to develop more immediate depth at linebacker.

Quarterback Troy Huhn earns a key invitation

Troy Huhn, one of two quarterbacks committed to Penn State's 2026 recruiting class, emerged as one of the top quarterbacks at the Under Armour Next camp in Los Angeles over the weekend. Huhn left the camp with an invitation to the UA Next All-America Game in January.

MVP’s crowned. Invites earned. LA’s Finest making moves!💥 #uanext pic.twitter.com/IqGYv7RAos

— All-America Game (@UANextFootball) May 5, 2025

Huhn, a 4-star prospect from Mission Hills High near San Diego, has been committed to Penn State since June of 2024. Huhn (6-4, 205 pounds) is a top-20 quarterback nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, and a top-30 player in talent-rich California. Huhn recently made an unofficial visit to Penn State during spring practice and has scheduled his official visit for late May.

Huhn chose Penn State from an offer list that includes Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan and Washington, among many others. The UA Next All-America Game invite will increase his profile ahead of his senior year.

Penn State in the recruiting rankings

The Nittany Lions' 2026 class ranks fourth nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, following a run of spring commitments. Penn State has received seven of its 15 commitments since late March, with the most recent from 4-star Pennsylvania linebacker Terry Wiggins and 4-star Virginia linebacker Mathieu Lamah.

Penn State is sixth in the latest ESPN rankings and ninth according to On3. Franklin isn't finished recruiting his own class, however, particularly its first commit. Messiah Mickens, a 4-star running back from Harrisburg, recently entertained Notre Dame running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider for a home visit. Seider, of course, helped recruit Mickens to Penn State before leaving to join Marcus Freeman's staff earlier this year.

Appreciate my guy stopping by today!!🤞🏽 @coachseider @Marcus_Freeman1 pic.twitter.com/ChGuYB50NE

— Messiah Mickens (@messiah_mickens) May 3, 2025