Penn State Has One of College Football's Top Freshmen to Watch in 2026

Penn State's roster is one of the most turned-over in college football, with 55 newcomers in Matt Campbell's first season as head coach. Forty of those new Nittany Lions are transfers, with 15 arriving in Campbell's hastily assembled 2026 recruiting class.

One of those newcomers is a freshman who enrolled early expecting to play defense but quickly made an impression at wide receiver. Amarion Jackson is one three Penn State players on ESPN's list of the top 100 newcomers in college football for 2026. And considering just how many newcomers Penn State has on its roster, he's also the most surprising.

"I don’t know if there’s a true freshman who’s had a bigger spring than what he has had," Campbell said in April.

Jackson was a 3-star recruit from Omaha, Nebraska, who initially signed with Campbell's 2026 recruiting class at Iowa State. The fifth-ranked player in Nebraska for the recruiting cycle, Jackson played for two state-championship teams at Millard South High, where he was an impact player on both sides of the ball. But he was a prolific receiver, catching 188 passes for 3,321 yards and 40 touchdowns in his high school career.

Jackson signed with Iowa State in December as a wide receiver but pivoted quickly to join Campbell at Penn State. He enrolled in January, however, as a safety with the Nittany Lions, who had signed five transfer receivers, including four from Iowa State.

But several Penn State receivers were limited during spring drills, notably Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. So Campbell asked the 6-2, 195-pound Jackson to shift to wide receiver temporarily. Ultimately, Jackson stayed at the position.

"You just felt like he was a really dynamic athlete and initially was committed to us at wide receiver," Campbell said. "And when he came here, I always felt like this guy has a chance to be a great safety. We kind of started him at safety and then we had some injuries through the winter and we didn’t know what our depth would be for spring ball.

"We sat down and said, 'Let’s take the first six days of spring ball and evaluate where you’re at, but I’m going to start you at receiver because I think you can get some great reps.' We got to the end of the sixth practice and I said, 'Buddy, I don’t know if you’re going to move back to that safety room. You’re doing a great job.'"

SIGNED: ATH Amarion Jackson

Omaha, NE → Happy Valley#WeAre | @AjJackson_21 pic.twitter.com/lciMsN9V0A
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 16, 2026

Jackson could help Penn State's offensive immediately next season. According to ESPN, Jackson is a "smooth vertical route runner and picks up ground quickly as a long strider. He also provides a reliable target for the quarterback having natural hands."

Receivers coach Kashif Moore arrived at Penn State in February, after Jackson made the move. He said the receiver has been "opening a lot of eyes" in the building.

"He had to switch positions and learn the offense a little later than the other guys, which makes it even more impressive in terms of his ability to pick up the offense and get out here and make plays," Moore said.

Penn State's other key newcomers

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht throws a pass during the Blue-White spring practice. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Two other Nittany Lions made ESPN's top-100 newcomers list, one of whom is no surprise. Quarterback Rocco Becht ranks No. 6 overall and fourth among transfer quarterbacks. ESPN said that Becht has "exceeded his three-star recruiting expectations," with which Campbell certainly would agree.

Penn State's other top newcomer is redshirt senior safety Jeremiah Cooper at No. 94. Cooper is a bit of a surprise, if only because he missed most of the 2025 season with an ACL tear. Cooper's versatile, though, having played both cornerback and safety with the Cyclones. A former All-Big 12 safety at Iowa State, Cooper likely team with fellow former Cyclone Marcus Neal Jr. at the position.

Three former Nittany Lions who transferred out also appear on the top-100 list: Tennessee defensive linemen Xavier Gilliam (No. 20) and Chaz Coleman (No. 27) and Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (No. 37).

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