Historic college football program lands 37 players from transfer portal

For the first time since the 2013 season, the Penn State Nittany Lions will not have James Franklin calling the shots on the sidelines.

Franklin was fired after the team's 3-3 start to a season where many had pegged them as favorites to win it all. While Penn State missed on a couple of notable targets, they were able to lure Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell away from Ames.

Campbell had been leading the Cyclones for a decade, posting a 72-55 record, leading the program to its first 11-win season in school history in 2024. With greater resources at Penn State, the expectations are that Campbell will be contending for titles each year.

With him needing to account for the roster turnover that Penn State experienced this offseason with 46 players leaving, Campbell heavily relied on the transfer portal. As revealed in a post shared to X, Penn State was one of the most active teams in the portal, bringing in 37 players.

NEW: Schools with the most College Football Transfer Portal commits✅https://t.co/pbNch9DGr0 https://t.co/YRdOKjlccG pic.twitter.com/ojYFqj5tRs
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) February 1, 2026

His class is headlined by former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, who is the most experienced Power 4 quarterback in the country with 39 career starts. In his four years at Iowa State, Becht threw for 9,274 yards with 64 touchdowns to 27 interceptions, while also running for 499 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Of the 37 transfers that Campbell brought in to Penn State, more than 20 of them played for him at Iowa State, which should make the transition easier. It may also help the team contend right away, as Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti found championship-level success by bringing in a large chunk of his James Madison roster when he took the job before last season.

First-year Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell. — First-year Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell waves to the crowd during a Big Ten wrestling dual meet. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A couple of notable non-Iowa State transfers that Penn State landed include Ohio State running back transfer James Peoples, who rushed for 344 yards and three scores this past season. On the defensive side of the ball, the Nittany Lions added former Utah defensive lineman Dallas Vakalahi, who is expected to take a major jump under Campbell's guidance.

Given all the changes that Penn State has seen this offseason, there is no telling how good they will be in 2026 at this time. With that being said, Campbell has historically done more with less, so having a roster with this much talent could lead to a pretty big opening season for him.

The Campbell era will open on Sept. 5 against Marshall.