Rebuilding: Penn state Season preview

Nittany Lions fans came into 2025 riding high with absolutely massive expectations. The excitement was warranted. The group had finally gotten over the hump and won two playoff games in 2024, so they had every reason to be excited. However, this excitement quickly disappeared as, just 8 weeks into the year, the team found themselves with a true freshman QB and an Interim head coach after an abysmal 3-3 record and a season-ending injury to starting QB and then senior Drew Allar, who is in the NFL now.  After an unfortunate 2025 season headlined by the firing of HC James Franklin, Penn State arrives in 2026 with hopes of starting a new and improved era under new head coach Matt Campbell. After almost a full decade at Iowa State, Campbell plans to turn around Happy Valley for the better. At Iowa State, Campbell established himself as one of the best coaches in the country, cementing himself as a three-time Coach of the year, but it didn’t seem like he was finished over at Iowa State. Campbell has brought a huge portion of his team with him to Penn State in hopes of creating the same culture he did in Ames. Some of the notable culture builders include quarterback Rocco Becht and OC Taylor Mouser. Becht showed great potential at Iowa State and looks to do the same in this new environment. Throughout his career, consistency has been an issue for Becht. Last year, Becht threw for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. If Penn State wants any chance of topping the Big Ten, Becht needs to prepare for a more consistent season with a lot fewer turnovers. The biggest concern, or possibly the biggest improvement to the team, is the question of how quickly a roster that has undergone such big changes can develop enough chemistry to compete at the top level. Campbell has previously proven that he can build a top-tier program, but with Iowa State going 8-4 last year in the Big 12, will that be enough to compete in the Big Ten? With the Big Ten being the more physical and stacked conference, Campbell needs to make sure everyone is ready to go for any situation and might need to adapt his coaching style to the conference in order to achieve success. 

The good thing for Penn State is that Campbell did not only bring Mouser and Becht. He also brought running back Carson Hansen, who gives the Nittany Lions a very experienced playmaker from the previous Iowa State roster. On the defensive side, Campbell also made another addition by bringing DC D’Anton Lynn. Lynn is a Penn State alum who joins the squad after previously coaching the USC Trojans defense. At USC, Lynn completely turned the defense around and plans to do so at Penn State. The Nittany Lions finished a disappointing 25th in total defense a year ago, so there are definitely improvements to be made. The group also welcomes back star linebacker Tony Rojas, who unfortunately missed some time last season with an injury, with hopes of returning to the defense as the leader of the linebacking room. Rojas has tallied a whopping 104 tackles in just 3 injury-filled years in Happy Valley. 

On offense for the Nittany Lions, the group is extremely transfer-heavy. However, my main breakout candidate to cement himself as the next first-rounder out of Happy Valley is actually a returner. RG Cooper Cousins made just two starts a year ago; opportunities that he stated he was “ready to capitalize” on a year ago. Despite only starting two games a year ago, Cousins received playing time in all 12 after redshirting in his freshman year. Out of high school, Cousins held the ranking as the #2 IOL in the class of 2024, and this is his year to prove it to the world. Expect Cooper Cousins to break out in a big way. Another potential superstar in Happy Valley looks to be Iowa State transfer WR Chase Sowell; Sowell looks to cement himself as WR1 for Rocco Becht, who just so happened to be his Quarterback a year ago in Ames.

Overall, the incoming Penn State lineup has plenty of talent and incoming coaching experience, but there are still big questions to be answered about how quickly this puzzle can be put back together. This can happen if Brecht can find that consistent stride and Campbell proves he can coach a fresh team that can quickly gel to the new system. This Nittany Lions squad can roar in the Big Ten; however, with so much change, you can expect this season to be more of a transition year than a championship run. Although Penn State is getting a very easy draw for the season, avoiding the big three teams like Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State, they can easily go above 9 wins and finish the season at 10-2. With Campbell hopefully being able to set the baseline, this could be the turnaround the Lions need for the next upcoming years.