Projecting Penn State's Week 2 Depth Chart at Temple: Injury Updates, Status Changes

Penn State made a few notable changes to its depth chart and starting lineup in the Week 1 win over Marshall, which showcased a few newcomers and players trending upward. The depth chart for Saturday's game at Temple will get a few tweaks as players return from injury and get more snaps in their new system.

Since Penn State coach Matt Campbell doesn't authorize a weekly depth chart, we're posting our projections here. They're based on last week's roster and changes expected ahead of the Nittany Lions' visit to Temple.

Further, Penn State won't post an official availability report until before the Big Ten opener Sept. 26 vs. Wisconsin, but we'll get a better glimpse of who's playing Saturday during warmups at Lincoln Financial Field.

Penn State's projected Week 2 offensive depth chart

Transfers noted with an asterisk.

Position	First Team	Second Team	Third Team
Quarterback	*Rocco Becht (Sr.)	*Alex Manske (Fr.)	*Connor Barry (Sr.)
Running Back	*Carson Hansen (Sr.)	*James Peoples (Jr.)	Quinton Martin Jr. (So.)
Left Tackle	Malachi Goodman (Fr.)	Garrett Sexton (So.)	Owen Aliciene (Fr.)
Left Guard	*Trevor Buhr (Jr.)	Will Tompkins (Fr.)	*Vaea Ikakoula (Fr.)
Center	*Brock Riker (So.)	Dominic Rulli (Sr.)
Right Guard	Cooper Cousins (Jr.)	Will Tompkins (Fr.)
Right Tackle	Anthony Donkoh (Jr.)	Garrett Sexton (So.)
Tight End	*Ben Brahmer (Sr.)	Andrew Rappleyea (So.)	*Gabe Burkle (Sr.)
Wide Receiver	*Chase Sowell (Sr.)	*Zay Robinson (Fr.)	*Keith Jones Jr. (So.)
Wide Receiver	*Brett Eskildsen (Jr.)	*Karon Brookins (Fr.)	Peter Gonzalez (So.)
Wide Receiver	Koby Howard (So.)	Amarion Jackson (Fr.)

Penn State offensive depth chart notes

Koby Howard gets @PennStateFball on the board for the first time this season 👏

Watch on FS1 pic.twitter.com/1OC6waJvNE
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 5, 2026

We don't expect any real changes to the top of the depth chart or starting lineup offensively for Penn State. The starting offensive line performed well, particularly in pass protection, in Week 1 and will start the same five.

Notably, Campbell said that center Brock Riker was the offense's highest-graded player, a good first step for the Texas State transfer. Left tackle Malachi Goodman played 56 snaps, a significant number for the first-time starter, and was the line's second-best player, according to Pro Football Focus. Right tackle Anthony Donkoh returned to his 2024 position smoothly, earning PFF's highest grade among linemen.

The running backs rotation will be one to watch. Penn State played starter Carson Hansen and James Peoples exclusively in the first half, with Quinton Martin Jr. getting onto the field in the third quarter. But in his short shift, Martin looked like the most elusive and well-rounded back. We're curious whether that earned him a higher spot on the rotation.

Wide receiver Koby Howard emerged not only as a playmaker but also as a trusted player on any down. He played 28 snaps, trailing only veterans Chase Sowell (36) and Brett Eskildsen (30). Campbell said that Howard upgraded his off-the-ball game to earn more snaps. Freshman Amarion Jackson should get more playing time at Temple as well.

Tight end Gabe Burkle is expected to make his 2026 debut after missing the opener. Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser view Burkle as their heavy machinery tight end who blocks well and grinds out third-down conversions.

Burkle won't take snaps from Ben Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea, who was excellent in the opener, but will add a veteran presence to the lineup.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Gabe Burkle (84) arrives in Holuba Hall for football media day, | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Penn State's projected defensive depth chart

Transfers noted with an asterisk.

Position	First Team	Second Team	Third Team
Defensive End	Yvan Kemajou (So.)	*Caleb Bacon (Sr.)	Jackson Ford (Fr.)
Defensive Tackle	*Siale Taupaki (Sr.)	*Dallas Vakalahi (Jr.)	*Armstrong Nnodim (So.)
Defensive Tackle	*Keanu Williams (Sr.)	Ty Blanding (Jr.)	D'Andre Cook (So.)
Defensive End	*Ikenna Ezeogu (Sr.)	*Alexander McPherson (So.)
Linebacker	Tony Rojas (Jr.)	Cam Smith (Fr.)	Alex Tatsch (So.)
Linebacker	*Kooper Ebel (Sr.)	*Cael Brezina (Jr.)
Cornerback	Audavion Collins (Sr.)	*Ibn McDaniels (So.)
Safety	*Marcus Neal Jr. (Jr.)	Xxavier Thomas (Fr.)
Safety	*Jamison Patton (Sr.)	*Jeremiah Cooper (Sr.)	Vaboue Toure (So.)
Cornerback	Daryus Dixson (So.)	Jahmir Joseph (Fr.)
Nickel	Josiah Zayas (Fr.)	Zion Tracy (Sr.)

Penn State defensive depth chart notes

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Josiah Zayas (17) tackles Marshall running back Jo'Shon Barbie. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest defensive change of Week 1 should extend into Week 2. Freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas, a former Iowa State signee, started at nickel and played 34 snaps, most in his room. He was pretty good, too, making two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Fellow nickelback Zion Tracy, a senior who entered the season with 13 starts, will play multiple roles in the secondary, so whether he starts isn't really a factor. The primary cornerbacks, Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson, have locked their starting roles.

Elsewhere in the secondary, safety Jeremiah Cooper played 12 snaps backing starter Jamimson Patton as he returned from a 2025 injury. Cooper ultimately will reclaim the starting role. Will that be this week?

Caleb Bacon didn't start vs. Marshall but was the most disruptive defensive end, making three tackles for loss. He might not start again Saturday but should play even more reps on the line. Also, watch for sophomore Yvan Kemajou to get into the backfield more often.

At linebacker, Campbell expects Alex Tatsch, who showed promise for Penn State as a freshman last season, to make his 2026 debut rotating in for Tony Rojas. However, Cam Smith played well last week, so there could be a competition for reps.

Penn State rotated tackles often against Marshall and will use a similar rotation against the Owls. Ty Blanding (24 snaps) got a lot of work, as did D'Andre Cook (16). They're both returning defensive linemen in a room dominated by transfers, notably starters Siale Taupaki and Keanu Williams (both from UCLA).

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Caleb Bacon makes a tackle vs. the Marshall Thundering Herd at Beaver Stadium. | Courtesy Penn State Athletics

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter, follow us on social media and add Penn State on SI as a Preferred Source on Google.

Add us as a preferred source on Google