Why Penn State Is Confident its Wide Receivers Will Turn the Corner in 2026

For the past three seasons, amplified by the its zero-catch performance in the 2025 Orange Bowl, Penn State's wide receivers room has been the offense's most challenging position. Former Penn State coach James Franklin brought in three transfers last season who made a marginal difference (notably Trebor Pena) but didn't radically upgrade the landscape.

Now, Penn State coach Matt Campbell is charged with redeveloping a position that already underwent offseason change. Noah Pauley, Campbell's first receivers coach, left for Green Bay, and Campbell quickly moved to hire Kashif Moore from Colorado State.

Campbell also brought in five transfer receivers, four from Iowa State, who he's confident will be immediate upgrades. But it's not just who's at the position. For Campbell, it's about how he, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and general manager Derek Hoodjer approach the position from a recruiting and strategic standpoint.

"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. "We know what the X receiver has to be able to do, we know what a slot receiver has to have the ability to do and we know what a Z receiver has to do. So I think we always look for those traits in the recruiting process and then we know can we develop that young man into what we're looking for."

So what does Penn State's new receivers room look like? It's taller, has two key players from Iowa State and returns the top prospect from Penn State's 2025 room. Here's a peek under the hood.

Meet the Iowa State transfer veterans

Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Chase Sowell (0) catches a pass for a first down against the Cincinnati Bearcats. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen are limited this spring, though they're pretty well slotted into the offense. Sowell was the Cyclones' starting X receiver last season, when he caught a team-high 32 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns.

Eskildsen played the Z receiver spot, leading Iowa State in receiving yards (526) and finishing second in touchdown catches (five). They will move smoothly into Penn State's offense at those spots with quarterback Rocco Becht.

"You've got Chase and Brett, who we brought over from Iowa State and who had really productive years [in 2025]," Campbell said. "I think, as you watched their season progress last year, those guys really made some really huge gains within the football season, and I think they're poised for year two within the system. "

Joining them on the top line likely will be sophomore Koby Howard, who made a late-season impact for the Nittany Lions in 2025. Howard got more reps under interim head coach Terry Smith, impressed the coaching staff on film and has had a productive spring.

"Koby Howard's a guy that we had a tremendous opportunity to watch and evaluate, both what he did at the end of the season and in fall practices," Hoodjer said. "We feel we have a core nucleus there."

Newcomers to watch at wide receiver

SIGNED: WR Keith Jones Jr.

New Orleans, LA → Happy Valley#WeAre | @KKeithJonesJr0 pic.twitter.com/GLaYlUE1lD
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 16, 2026

Campbell brought two redshirt freshmen with him from Iowa State in Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins. Robinson played in three games, making one catch, while Brookins is a 6-5 target whom Campbell has called a "super talent."

"We've known exactly who they are, and so we feel really good about them in the wide receiver room," Hoodjer said.

Keith Jones Jr., a redshirt sophomore who played at Grambling last season, is another newcomer to watch. Jones (6-4, 197) caught 32 passes last season, averaging 14.5 yards per reception as another big target.

Hoodjer said that Jones' film projected a "smooth" receiver with the traits Penn State wants in its room.

"I think it was his length, his ability to run and his ball skills, which are at a really high level," Hoodjer said, "We were looking for a bigger wide receiver, and once we had the opportunity to get him on campus, it was a fit.

"This kid's really competitive. The videotape that you watch from Grambling is really impressive. He's a smooth mover and he really fits as we're trying build a wide receiver room of guys who do have the length like that. He was a really good fit."

Penn State's receivers are getting taller

Penn State Nittany Lions receivers Karon Brookins (8), Keith Jones Jr. (15) and Lyrick Samuel (11) run a drill in practice. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State On SI

Penn State's recruiting strategy at receiver stood out during a recent open practice. Brookins (6-5), Jones (6-4) and returner Lyrick Samuel (6-4) ran a ball-security drill together, underscoring how Penn State has prioritized height and length.

Four of the five new receivers are 6-3 or taller, while freshman Amarion Jackson is 6-2. Certainly, Samuel (at 177 pounds) could add some body mass, but on the whole the Nittany Lions are bigger at the position.

"Length and size creates a larger catch radius, obviously, and they create the ability to win the one-on-one matchup," Hoodjer said. "The way we're going to play football and run the ball, it leads to more one-on-one situations."

'I love his journey'

Broke bread with the guys! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/3h3Uy8rSUF
— Kashif Moore (@KashifMoore) March 4, 2026

Moore didn't have much time to get up to speed at Penn State, joining the program in February after only a few months at Colorado State. The former UConn player and assistant also isn't tied to Penn State's recent history at the position, representing a fresh start for the Nittany Lions.

"I think with coach Moore's background as a player, he was a captain on those great UConn teams, won the Orange Bowl his senior year as a captain, and I loved that," Campbell said. "I loved his leadership ability. I love his journey."

Penn State's receivers will continue their journey this season, though Campbell sounds confident he will make the position better.

"I just think that whole room in general has got great ability," Campbell said. "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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