Way-Too-Early Look at Penn State Football's 2026 Depth Chart

The Nittany Lions offered plenty of clues about their depth chart during spring drills.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (23) runs with the ball during the Blue-White Spring Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State finished hitting the program reset switch this spring, when coach Matt Campbell and his staff began evaluating the roster they put together through six "very chaotic" weeks over the winter.

While Campbell said Penn State learned plenty about itself through 15 spring practices, that came with some caveats. About 30 players were limited in some capacity during spring drills. Some key players (tight end Andrew Rappleyea, lineman Anthony Donkoh, linebacker Tony Rojas) were out for all of spring, while others (quarterback Rocco Becht, receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen) participated to an extent.

As a result, deciphering an initial depth chart following spring is difficult. But we're giving it a go, projecting a two-deep that will include more than a handful of players who missesd spring drills. Of note: Most of these players did not participate in the live-hitting drills at Penn State's spring-ending open practice.

We've noted the transfers on the two-deep with an asterisk.

Penn State's Offensive Depth Chart

Position	First Team	Second Team
Quarterback	*Rocco Becht (Sr.)	*Alex Manske (Fr.)
Running Back	*Carson Hansen (Sr.)	*James Peoples (Jr.)
Left Tackle	Malachi Goodman (Fr.)	Owen Aliciene (Fr.)
Left Guard	*Trevor Buhr (Jr.)	*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.)
Wide Receiver	*Chase Sowell (Sr.)	*Zay Robinson (Fr.)
Wide Receiver	*Brett Eskildsen (Jr.)	*Karon Brookins (Fr.)
Wide Receiver	Koby Howard (Soph.)	*Keith Jones Jr. (Soph.)

Penn State's offense will have a decidely Iowa State flavor. Ten of the 22 players on the projected depth chart, including six starters, were Cyclones last season. That includes Becht, Hansen, Buhr, Brahmer and the top two receivers, Sowell and Eskildsen.

Becht is the no-doubt No. 1 quarterback, though there's going to be a fascinating competition for QB2. Division III transfer Connor Barry took most of the live first-team reps this spring, with Manske out and Becht on a pitch count, Manske returned to the team after missing his second straight set of spring drills, so it's unclear what to expect from him by next season.

Campbell remade the running backs room pretty well, stocking the team with three viable options. Hansen likely will start, but look for Peoples, the Ohio State transfer, to collect more carries as the season progresses. Quinton Martin Jr. made a strong first impression on the offensive staff.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Carson Hansen (21) runs with the ball during the Blue-White Spring Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State's tight ends room is among the best on the team, with Brahmer and Rappleyea capable of combining for 75 catches. The two sat next to each other at a post-practice autograph session, where Rappleyea was in a great mood. He has returned from injuries before and knows the process.

Penn State's starting five on the offensive line looks pretty established. The key player to watch there is Goodman at left tackle. After not playing as a true freshman, Goodman likely will take over for fourth-round pick Drew Shelton.

Goodman was the highest-ranked player in Penn State's 2025 recruiting staff but hasn't protected a back-side Big Ten rush yet. Riker is another fascinating newcomer, having grabbed the primary spot at center after transferring from Texas State.

Beyond Sowell and Eskildsen, the receivers are really young. Jones gained some experience at Grambling but did not practice much this spring. New receivers coach Kashif Moore said Howard has explosive-play potential.

Penn State's Defensive Depth Chart

Position	First Team	Second Team
Defensive End	*Alexander McPherson (So.)	Max Granville (So.)
Defensive Tackle	*Siale Taupaki (Sr.)	*Keanu Williams (Sr.)
Defensive Tackle	*Armstrong Nnodim (So.)	Ty Blanding (Jr.)
Defensive End	*Ikenna Ezeogu (Sr.)	Yvan Kemajou (So.)
Linebacker	Tony Rojas (Jr.)	Alex Tatsch (So.)
Linebacker	*Caleb Bacon (So.)	*Cael Brezina (Jr.)
Linebacker	*Kooper Ebel (Sr.)	Cam Smith (Fr.)
Cornerback	Audavion Collins (Sr.)	Zion Tracy (Sr.)
Safety	*Marcus Neal Jr. (Jr.)	*Jamison Patton (Sr.)
Safety	*Jeremiah Cooper (Sr.)	Vaboue Toure (So.)
Cornerback	Daryus Dixson (So.)	Jahmir Joseph (Fr.)

This is a pretty veteran defense, except at defensive end, which is the position that coordinator D'Anton Lynn must address the most. The tackles are big veterans, with Nnodim, a 319-pound Oklahoma State transfer, generating a high profile this spring.

McPherson (Colorado) and Ezeogu (Iowa State) could be a strong combination off the edge, with Granville working his way back from a 2025 injury. Kemajou will benefit from playing in the rotation.

Campbell loves his Iowa State linebackers, Bacon and Ebel, who will need to make strides against Big Ten offenses. A healthy Rojas is the front seven's best player, but depth is an issue at the position.

In the secondary, Terry Smith's cornerbacks room is loaded, with Collins and Dixson having shutdown potential. Tracy will get a whole lot of time as the defense's Swiss Army knife. Neal and Cooper, who missed spring drills, are an experienced duo at safety.

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Owen Aliciene (77) blocks vs. defensive end Yvan Kemajou during the Blue-White Spring Practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State Specialists Depth Chart

Position	First Team	Second Team
Kicker	Ryan Barker (Jr.)
Punter	*Nathan Tiyce (Soph.)
Kick Returner	*James Peoples (Jr.)	*Carson Hansen (Sr.)
Punt Returner	Koby Howard (Soph.)	*Brett Eskildsen (Jr.)

Retaining Barker was among Campbell's most underrated offseason moves. Barker misssed just one field-goal attempt last season and has a chance to break the program's career success rate.

Penn State has an Australian punter in Tiyce, a 6-5 transfer who averaged 39 yards per attempt last season at Mississippi State. The running backs took snaps on kickoff returns and looked reliable, while Howard and Eskildsen bring speed to punt returns. In fact, Eskildsen said he's "fast, fast."

Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) kicks a PAT against Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.