Penn State Training Camp Notes: Injury Updates, Stock Rising and More

The Nittany Lions are gearing for their first training camp scrimmage at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell jogs at the start of a practice session inside Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State held its second practice in full pads Thursday and will head into Beaver Stadium on Saturday for its first scrimmage of training camp. Following Thursday's practice, head coach Matt Campbell held his weekly media availability, where he discussed the team's progress, its injury situation and some of the early standouts.

Here's the breakdown of what we learned Thursday at the Lasch Football Building.

So far, so good on injuries

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell during a practice session inside Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Campbell had no bad news regarding injuries, which was good news. He said that, while some players have visited trainers, no injuries have risen to the long-term level. He called that a "great win for us."

Safety Jeremiah Cooper remains a key player on the return timetable. Cooper said he feels fit and is nearly fully back after rehabbing from a 2025 ACL tear. Cooper has been limited in practice, and was not on the field during spring drills, but expects to be ready for the Sept. 5 opener against Marshall.

"I want to be out there Week 1 and I feel fully confident that I’ll be out there," Cooper said.

Tight end Gabe Burkle and linebacker Alex Tatsch are on similar trajectories, though Burkle is a fifth-year senior who needs fewer camp reps to be ready. Campbell has said both could be ready for the opener but might be held back until Week 2 at Temple.

Defensive tackle Armstrong Nnodim, the Oklahoma State transfer who broke through last spring, was hurt entering camp but has returned looking healthy again. "It's going to be really fun to see what he can do," Campbell said.

Dallas Vakalahi, a defensive tackle who transferred from Utah, could be out for about a week with a minor injury, Campbell said. Vakalahi also was out for spring drills but had been off to a strong start in camp.

Terry Smith raves about the receivers room

Penn State Nittany Lions associate head coach Terry Smith smiles as he talks to a reporter during football media day in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Associate head coach Terry Smith, who also coaches Penn State's cornerbacks, is enjoying having shed the "interim head coach" tag. But he still pays attention to other positions, notably those that his group faces.

And Smith has seen significant improvement from Penn State's receivers, which Campbell called the postion that intrigues him most on the team. Smith has been particlarly impressed with Brett Eskildsen, the first Penn State receiver to make Bruce Feldman's college football "Freaks List."

"I think those guys are truly competitive," Smith said. "I think the room has elevated its talent. Those guys are faster [than last year's Penn State receivers]. Brett is one of the fastest guys on the team. He and AC [cornerback Audavion Collins], it’s wonderful to see those guys battle.

"We throw the ball down the field, so that’s a challenge when they’re stretching vertically. But I do think we have a better overall group of guys [at receiver]. They continue to develop and get better, and I think coach [receivers coach] Kashif [Moore] is doing a great job with those guys."

'Growing every day'

Penn State coach Matt Campbell breaks down the first week of training camp. The Nittany Lions will hold their first scrimmage of camp Saturday at Beaver Stadium. pic.twitter.com/6TP49YpUec

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Penn State has held two full-pad practices, so Campbell is getting a better sense of his roster's real strengths and weaknesses. He'll drill down further Saturday, when the Nittany Lions scrimmage in Beaver Stadium for the first time in camp.

"Saturday will tell us a lot more," Campbell said. "We get our first real, live scrimmage in terms of quality reps and live football. So I think we'll learn more [about] the breaking point of evaluating this team and exactly where we need to see it."

Standouts on the defensive line

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive lineman Siale Taupaki competes in an exercise bike race during the 23rd annual Lift for Life at Holuba Hall, | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn recruited beefier linemen as part of his 4-2-5 alignment that relies on size up front. But Penn State needs to develop those transfer tackles quickly. A few got on Campbell's good side this week.

Siale Taupaki, an eighth-year player from UCLA, had his two best practices of camp the past two days, Campbell said. That's critical, because Taupaki has experience in this defense, having played for Lynn in 2023 at UCLA.

Keanu Williams, a 317-pound UCLA transfer who began his career at Oregon, also has had two strong practices, but Campbell said the tackle needs to do that more consistently. And with Nnodim working back and Vakalahi out, Campbell also highlighted Alijah Carnell, a redshirt sophomore from Iowa State.

"Every day it feels like a different guy is taking a big step forward," Campbell said.

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