What We Learned From Day 1 of Penn State Football Spring Practice

Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell discussed the trajectory of spring drills after his first practice.

A general view of the scoreboard at Beaver Stadium as Matt Campbell is announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Matt Campbell spun himself through six weeks of "chaos," putting together the Penn State football roster, so forgive the head coach if he struggled getting into the building. "Which took probably two weeks to try to figure that out," Campbell said.

With that settled, Campbell turned toward spring practice, which began Tuesday. Campbell still is getting to know his roster, which includes 52 returning players and 55 newcomers. But after a productive winter of culture-building, Penn State begins the process of figuring out its football team.

What will that look like? Campbell provided some insight Tuesday after practice. Here are the highlights.

Going slow with Rocco Becht

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht talks with reporters during a media availability at Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich/Penn State on SI

Penn State began spring practice without several key players, notably on offense. Among them is quarterback Rocco Becht, who is recovering from offseason surgery on his left (non-throwing shoulder).

Campbell knows who Becht, his three-year starting quarterback at Iowa State, is and will be. So the coach sees no reason to subject his starter to setbacks or even throwing fatigue this spring. Even though Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser are integrating players from multiple rosters into the offense, they're comfortable giving Becht primarily a coaching role this spring.

"We've got to make sure we're slow and right with Rocco rather than fast and wrong," Campbell said. "It's certainly huge to have him out there in individual and certainly huge to have him out even today in group and for those young quarterbacks to be able to watch him and just to have his leadership on the field. That's been big for us."

What's up with the Blue-White Game?

Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Koby Howard runs with the ball during the 2025 Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Campbell offered some additional detail on Blue-White Weekend, as Penn State is calling it. Reading between the lines of Campbell's comments, don't expect to see a full scrimmage April 25 at Beaver Stadium. With players out and installations ongoing, Penn State will use the 15th practice as a public showcase perhaps with some scrimmage elements.

"I think it's really important for us, and how critical our fan base is to our football program, that we get out and have an opportunity for our fans to be with us," Campbell said. "I think equally it's critical for our players to be in that stadium and to feel what that fan base feels like and looks like and what Beaver Stadium looks like, replicating that environment to the best of our ability before we step in and play a game obviously next fall.

"I think we'll evaluate exactly what that 15th practice looks like. I think you'll get some version of practice. Hopefully we can get some scrimmaging where we get some live reps in practice and be able to showcase that. What we won't do is waste a day."

Meet the new wide receivers coach

Connecticut Huskies wide receiver Kashif Moore (82) runs the ball during the first half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Rentschler Field in 2010. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Campbell didn't get to spring practice without having to hire a new assistant. Receivers coach Kashif Moore joined Penn State in February from Colorado State (via UConn) after Noah Pauley left for the Green Bay Packers.

Moore played and coached at UConn, where he most recently guided Skyler Bell to becoming one of the best receivers in UConn history. Bell was a consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist after catching 101 passes for 1,278 yards.

Campbell liked Moore's developmental skills but also was intrigued by his personal story. After a brief NFL career, Moore worked outside football before pursuing a switch to coaching, which ultimately led him to Penn State.

"I love his journey," Campbell said. "He used his academic career. He started not in football after he got done playing in the NFL, not really coaching football. He used his degree in business and really was quite successful. Then found his love back for coaching and knew that he wanted to give back and was purposeful. It started at the high school level. Then he went to Division III level, and he kind of worked himself back to where he was at UConn."

Speaking of wide receivers

Iowa State Cyclones' wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (9) celebrates with offensive line coach Ryan Clanton after scoring a touchdown against Kansas. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's refreshing to hear a coach at Penn State speak so confidently about the wide receiver position. That hasn't happened to this extent. Campbell remains convinced that he and his offensive staff will upgrade production at an underperforming position for Penn State.

Notably, top Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen won't do much this spring. But Campbell said that leaves more opportunities for fellow Iowa State transfers Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins (a "super talent," Campbell said), Grambling transfer Keith Jones Jr. and returning wideouts Koby Howard and Lyrick Samuel.

"If you look all the way back to our days at Toledo, we've always had great receivers because we've always known what we're looking for," Campbell said. "... I just think that whole room in general has got great ability. They're young. They're going to have to grow up fast. Even the guys that have played, they're going to have to take another huge step forward if they're going to be the team we've got the ability to become."

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