Penn State Needs These 8 Players to Be Elite This Season

Penn State generated 4,706 yards of total offense last season, and 4,592 of them are gone to the NFL, the portal or to exhausted eligibility. Seven of the Nittany Lions' top eight receivers are gone, as are their top two rushers.

Defensively, the look is similar. The Nittany Lions lost six of their top seven tacklers, their top three players in sacks and five of their six interceptions. So Matt Campbell needs playmakers on both sides of the football, particularly to help quarterback Rocco Becht on offense.

Who are Penn State football's top playmakers this season? We broke down the expected leaders on both sides of the ball.

Receiver Chase Sowell

Sowell might be the most pivotal player who has to develop in Penn State's offense this season. He's coming off a solid year at Iowa State (32 catches, 500 yards) but scored just two touchdowns.

A redshirt senior, Sowell has taken a long career arc to Penn State, playing at Colorado, East Carolina and Iowa State before joining Campbell in State College. He has battled through multiple injuries in his career, including one last season that required winter surgery and limited him this spring.

At Penn State, Sowell has an opportunity to change the course of that career arc and turn himself into a draft pick. But he'll need to become a clear WR1 with the Nittany Lions.

Tight end Ben Brahmer

Penn State Nittany Lions tight ends Ben Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea pose for photos during an autograph signing. — Penn State Nittany Lions tight ends Ben Brahmer (left) and Andrew Rappleyea pose for photos during an autograph signing at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State On SI

Brahmer finished spring drills healthy, which was more than several other tight ends could say, and productive. Campbell covets playmaking tight ends, and Brahmer could be one of the best in the Big Ten.

He was the top-ranked tight end in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, after leading the Cyclones in receptions (37) and touchdowns (six) last year. At 6-7, Brahmer will be Penn State's top red-zone threat, which the team lacked last season. He also has a strong rapport with Becht, who is quick to find big targets on intermediate routes.

Brahmer and fellow tight end Andrew Rappleyea should combine for at least 60 catches, but Brahmer could be the passing game's top performer.

Linebacker Tony Rojas

Why did UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava run through and around the Nittany Lions last season? Partly because Rojas sustained a torn ACL four days before the game.

Penn State's defense looked lost against a Bruins quarterback who capitalized on free run lanes with no central player covering it. The Nittany Lions never really recovered from losing Rojas, their best defensive player last season, and Campbell made a significant move to retain him.

When healthy, Rojas plays with so much defensive versatility. He's a sure tackler, gets into the backfield and runs well enough to cover receivers on intermediate routes. With Rojas back, Penn State has a defensive cornerstone.

Defensive back Zion Tracy

Campbell pointed to a 2024 interception that Tracy returned for a touchdown against Ohio State as one that lingered in his film study. It's a reason Campbell called Tracy one of the best players he has coached.

"I feel like every game, big moment, that guy has shown up and been an elite football player,” Campbell said. “I think Zion can be one of the best corners in the country. I think he can be one of the best safeties in the country. He can play nickel. He can do a lot. When you have a chess piece like Zion, it gives you the ability to start to kind of navigate the rest of the defensive structure kind of around him.”

That's exactly who Campbell and coordinator D'Anton Lynn want Tracy to be in their defense. He likely won't be one of the starting cornerbacks, but Tracy will move through the secondary in multiple roles from pass rush to coverage and will be expected to tilt games.

Safety Marcus Neal Jr.

Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Marcus Neal Jr. returns an interception against the Kansas Jayhawks. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As a starting safety at Iowa State last year, Neal notably led the team in tackles for loss (11) and was tied in interceptions (two). Neal covers a lot of ground for a safety and will need to do that again with the Nittany Lions.

One of Neal's top skills is getting to the backfield. He made nearly 15 percent of his tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Neal also forced a fumble and recovered another, meaning that he can affect plays across the field. He's one of Campbell's most important transfers from Iowa State.

Running back James Peoples

It was difficult not to notice Peoples, the Ohio State transfer, at Penn State's final practice of spring drills. He looked the part at 5-10, 221 pounds but also ran with a combination of speed and power that could generate explosive plays on offense.

That's why Campbell recruited Peoples out of the transfer portal to a running backs room that underwent significant offseason change. Campbell views former Iowa State starter Carson Hansen as the offense's backfield cog but wants Peoples to be the playmaker who changes games instantly and gives Hansen the opportunity to churn fourth-quarter yards.

Defensive end Ikenna Ezeogu

Penn State has generated at least 27 sacks in each of the last five years and led the Big Ten in back-to-back seasons in 2022-23. Iowa State topped 25 sacks just once in the same stretch.

Edge rushers matter to Penn State's defense, even in Lynn's new configuration. This team doesn't have a No. 1 pass-rusher yet. Perhaps Ezeogu, a redshirt junior from Iowa State, could emerge in that role.

Ezeogu was a 12-game starter for the Cyclones, making 25 tackles but just one sack, though he did lead the team with seven quarterback hurries. He'll play a different role in Penn State's four-lineman front and, at 6-5, 275, has the size to be disruptive at the line of scrimmage. But can he develop the speed and/or leverage to make Big Ten sacks?

Wide receiver Brett Eskildsen

One reason Eskildsen could change the game for Penn State: speed. The receiver called himself "fast fast" and said he has reached 22 mph during live action.

Eskildsen averaged a team-high 17.53 yards per catch for the Cyclones last year, which also ranked second in the Big 12. Eskildsen positions himself as a deep threat who gets open and runs away from defensive backs. He will be vital to Becht's pass-game progressions.

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