Penn State's Roster Expected to Undergo Significant Change for 2026

Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell is racing to rebuild a recruiting class and stabilize the roster.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State is racing through a transition period after hiring Matt Campbell as its new head coach. Since his introduction Dec. 8, Campbell and his staff have been addressing roster retention and a recruiting rebuild, having received four commitments so far from his former 2026 Iowa State class.

With the transfer portal opening Jan. 2 and the 2026 NFL Draft looming, Penn State can expect plenty of roster turnover. Four players have already opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl and one, cornerback Elliot Washington II, has announced plans to enter the portal. More likely will come.

As Penn State’s roster continues to change, here’s what moves fans should expect in the coming weeks and for the 2026 team.

RELATED: Penn State roster tracker

How many players will Penn State lose to the draft?

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates a sack vs. Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Other Nittany Lions who could opt out of the Pinstripe Bowl to focus on the NFL Draft: 

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton

While Dennis-Sutton has yet to submit his name to the NFL draft, he’s out of eligibility and has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. The defensive end could be a Day 2 pick.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed Dennis-Sutton as the sixth-ranked defensive end in the 2026 draft. Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 265 pounds) is a freak athlete who plenty of NFL teams will grade highly.

Running back Kaytron Allen 

Allen, who’s also out of eligibility, is one of the few Nittany Lions who boosted their draft stock in 2025. The senior had a career year, totaling personal bests in rushing yards (1,303), touchdowns (15) and yards per carry (6.2). He’s the No. 6 running back in Kiper’s rankings and also is headed to the Senior Bowl. 

Cornerback Zion Tracy

Tracy, a junior, has a year of eligibility remaining, and it’s unclear whether he intends to return to Penn State. Tracy played a lot of snaps in the nickel cornerback role and made five tackles for loss.

Cornerback A.J. Harris

Harris was rated among the 10 best returning cornerbacks in college football by Pro Football Focus in April. The junior, however, had an uneven season and was benched against Northwestern after giving up a touchdown. Harris broke up just one pass this year, compared to five in 2024, defended one pass compared to last year’s six and failed to record an interception. Later in the season, he started ceding snaps to freshman Daryus Dixson.

Kiper has Harris ranked just outside the top 10 among draft-eligible cornerbacks. Harris is a candidate to make the jump to the NFL, but another year in college might help him boost his stock. Regardless, with the transition going on at Penn State, Harris likely will be somewhere other than State College in 2026. 

The offensive linemen

Ioane already has opted out, so watch for his fellow starters Drew Shelton, Nick Dawkins, Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci. Only Donkoh has college eligibility remaining, though he is eligible to enter the draft.

Who else could Penn State lose to the transfer portal?

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Andrew Rappleyea scores on touchdown reception during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Penn State’s roster loses a big group of seniors, 34 of whom were recognized at the final home game. While a true number is unclear, the Nittany Lions could lose double-digit players to the transfer portal. Retaining current interim head coach Terry Smith was vital to keeping certain players. But as Washington showed, many could decide to depart for the 2026 season. 

Of the most notable, offensive tackle Malachi Goodman, the highest-ranked recruit in Penn State’s 2025 class, and offensive tackle J’ven Williams, the lone 5-star in the 2023 class, could leave following offensive line coach Phil Trautwein’s departure to Florida.

Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer remains an uncertainty as well. Smith has called Grunkemeyer the “future of the position for us,” but Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is talented and could follow Campbell to Happy Valley. After his strong finish to 2025, in which he posted a 78.3-percent completion rate, 517 passing yards and four touchdowns in his final three games, Grunkemeyer will receive interest from other schools. 

Here are some other key starters Penn State should prioritize in retaining: tight ends Andrew Rappleyea and Luke Reynolds, linebacker Amare Campbell, safety King Mack, cornerback Audavion Collins and kicker Ryan Barker.  

How many players will Penn State need from the transfer portal?

Penn State Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell, left, and Athletic Director Pat Kraft pose for a photo during a press conference at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions might need to bring as many as 40 players via the portal. Penn State’s roster will undergo a complete rebuild in Campbell’s first season. Fortunately for him, Athletic Director Pat Kraft has the resources to do that, investing a reported $30 million into the 2026 roster, according to The Inside Zone’s Matt Fortuna.

Penn State will lose 6-8 starters to the NFL Draft without considering the wide receiving corps (Kyron Hudson, Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross), three-fifths of the offensive line (Shelton, Dawkins and Rucci) a starting tight end (Khalil Dinkins), a starting defensive tackle (Alonzo Ford Jr.) and a starting defensive end (Zuriah Fisher), all of whom graduating. That is upward of 17 of 22 starters leaving. 

That also doesn’t include injured linebacker Tony Rojas, an important player to bring back. Other future starters Penn State would love to retain are Donkoh, receivers Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark, defensive ends Chaz Coleman and Yvan Kemajou, linebacker LaVar Arrington II and Dixson at cornerback. 

Campbell needs to bring a big portal class, which will take some change. Campbell’s transfer portal classes the past six years at Iowa State rank 82nd, 75th, 110th, 83rd, 79th and 59th. Campbell wants to be a recruit-and-develop coach, but Year 1 will require him to be aggressive in the portal starting Jan. 2.

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