Sights and Scenes From Penn State Football Media Day

Penn State held its annual football media day Aug. 7 at Holuba Hall, just before the Nittany Lions took the field for their third practice of fall camp. Head coach Matt Campbell said the Nittany Lions made strides during their first and second practices, which began the countdown to the Sept. 5 opener vs. Marshall at Beaver Stadium.

Campbell and his assistants offered plenty of insight into the Nittany Lions, including a look at some of the freshmen who could play this season. We also got a look at much of the new roster and staff, who have been together for seven months building the 2026 Penn State football team.

So here's a photo tour around Penn State football media day.

Head coach Matt Campbell

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell answers a question during a press conference in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Campbell called the team's early practices productive, though they included primarily position and 7-on-7 drills. Penn State couldn't wear pads through the first two practices, but when they do, Campbell said he plans a tough, physical camp.

"Are we there yet? No, we can keep making great strides," Campbell said. "I hope we have the great leadership and continue to do a great job of demanding it every day. We've grown. It was great to see practice one and two. There was great growth between practice one and practice two. We're going to not have to miss a day as we continue."

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn

Lynn, the former Penn State cornerback coaching at his alma mater for the first time, has earned a reputation for being a "mad scientist" in defensive development and for his use of the phrase "obnoxious communication" in practice.

"There's a lot of good things about coach Lynn, but one of the best things is him being a former letterman," associate head coach Terry Smith said. "Playing on the defensive side of the ball, he knows what a Penn State defense should look like. So he's bringing that attitude, that swagger. And then he's got a sharp mind. He's extremely bright and intelligent. He's like a mad scientist trying to put it together and connect the dots."

Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser

Mouser, who spent 10 years on Campbell's staff at Iowa State, already has developed an affection for Penn State and State College.

"The old-school feel that this town has, the nostalgic feel that the town has, it's got such a cozy, welcoming, family, authentic feel to the to the town," Mouser said. "It feels like everything's been here for a long time. I grew up in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, where everything was chain restaurants for the most part, and it took forever to get anywhere.

"Me and a lot of the coaches, we went on walks every day during spring, and we'd just go through campus and just see where people are going, what people are doing, where people are eating and trying new stuff. So I think just of how unique everything is."

Wide receivers coach Kashif Moore

Moore was the last addition to Campbell's staff, replacing Noah Pauley, who spent two months in State College before taking the receivers position with the Green Bay Packers. Pauley also made a quick move, receiving a cold call from Mouser in February while he was settling in with head coach Jim Mora at Colorado State.

Moore doesn't have the scars that Penn State's receivers room generated over the past three years, so he's approaching the job with the same vigor he did at UConn, where he worked last season with Mora.

“This is an exciting challenge for me,” Moore said. “I’m an ultimate competitor, right? I have full confidence in my ability to coach and develop, and this is nothing new to me. This is also a narrative that I walked into when I got to UConn.”

Quarterback Rocco Becht

Becht spent the summer building muscle mass in his shoulders and legs to protect himself more effectively from injuries this season. Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said Becht has never looked better.

"This is the best I've seen Rocco Becht's body look since I've been with him," Waters said. "He's lost some body fat and put on lean muscle. It's a huge, huge change for him, and he feels great. He's fast. He feels really good."

Defensive end Max Granville

Granville returned to practice in early August for the first time in more than a year. He missed the 2025 season and spring drills with separate injuries but declared himself healthy and ready to recapture some of the magic of his freshman season.

"He can do things that other people right now on our team cannot," defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe said.

Safety Marcus Neal Jr. and cornerback Zion Tracy

Penn State Nittany Lions safety Marcus Neal Jr. (31) and cornerback Zion Tracy (7) pose for a photo at football media day. — Penn State Nittany Lions safety Marcus Neal Jr. (31) and cornerback Zion Tracy (7) pose for a photo during football media day in Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Neal and Tracy will be two of Penn State's most versatile defensive players this season. Neal is a 6-1, 216-pound safety built more like a linebacker who loves to blitz. He made 11 tackles for loss at Iowa State last season and will play multiple positions.

As will Tracy, who can play nearly everywhere in the secondary. He'll be Penn State's starting nickelback in the 4-2-5 defense, but Lynn will deploy him surgically. Mouser said that Tracy made his job frustrating this spring.

"Zion Tracy's a nickel who gave us fits all spring that we couldn't block," Mouser said. "He gives our defense a lot of flexibility."

Receiver Brett Eskildsen

Eskildsen, an Iowa State transfer, should be a fun receiver to watch, particularly if he makes the kinds of one-handed grabs that he did in practice No. 2. The junior has deceptive size (6-1, 197 pounds) and challenges cornerback Audavion Collins for the title of Fastest Nittany Lion. Campbell said both have recorded speeds above 23.5 miles per hour

"He has strong hands and has the ability to accelerate down the field vertically," Campbell said. "He can do a lot of different things and can be a great special teams player, as well."

Tight end Gabe Burkle

Ben Brahmer and a healthy Andrew Rappleyea have garnered most of the attention among Penn State's tight ends. But Campbell consistently reminds everyone of Burkle, who is returning from a 2025 ACL tear and is "on track" to be ready for at least Game 2 at Temple.

“I think if you really study Iowa State and you study Gabe Burkle, that guy was the best blocking tight end in the country and the best off-ball tight end," Campbell said. "I think he became a real factor in the passing game for us. He's a guy that's got great hands. He's elite at the top of the route. He can certainly be a guy that, whether it's over the middle or vertically down the field is a real asset, and he has the ability to create gaps in the passing game."

Linebacker Cael Brezina

Meet Penn State linebacker Cael Brezina, who added a blue stripe to his hair to commemorate the start of training camp. pic.twitter.com/HegtFXDQjx
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) August 7, 2026

Finally, meet Brezina, a junior linebacker from Iowa State who dyed a strip of his hair blue for training camp.

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