Penn State was one of the busiest programs in the Transfer Portal this offseason, adding 36 players, and that list could still grow with players still available on the open market. As it stands, Matt Campbell and general manager Derek Hoodjer have the No. 5-rated transfer class in the country, and most of the headliners have been former Iowa State players following them from Ames to Happy Valley.
Rocco Becht, Benjamin Brahmer, and Marcus Neal Jr. are just a few of the big names who stuck with Campbell. Then, there are outside additions like James Peoples from Ohio State, who could have a breakout year since flipping allegiances inside the Big Ten.
But what about the overlooked players? The ones who got lost in the shuffle of a massive roster turnover, but who could have a major impact on the 2026 Nittany Lions? Well, it’s time to shine a light on the most underrated additions that Campbell and Hoodjer made that will have Penn State’s new regime looking great next season.
2024 four-star Cooper Cousins has long projected as Penn State’s eventual starting center, but at 6-foot-6, Cousins has the versatility to play all five positions along the line. That versatility will likely be tested because Riker could absolutely be the Nittany Lions’ starting center in 2026.
The Texas State transfer is a bit undersized, listed at 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, but that didn’t slow him down at Texas State. In his first year as the Bobcats’ starter, Riker didn’t allow a sack and spearheaded a rushing attack that finished top 20 in the country in yards per rush.
You may think that there’s no way that a 2019 three-star recruit is still eligible to play college football, but you would be wrong. Siale Taupaki did not play his first three seasons at UCLA, seeing his first game action in 2022. Yet, even that season, the Oakland, California native appeared in just two games and was granted a waiver preserving his eligibility. So, after seven years at UCLA, Taupaki is spending his final year of eligibility at Penn State in 2026.
It may not be a surprise, but Taupaki is a full-grown man and not just because of his age. He checks in at 6-foot-4 and well over 300 pounds. That’s exactly what Ikaika Malloe wants. The former UCLA defensive line coach is shifting away from Deion Barnes’s undersized speed-first players on the defensive interior, prioritizing size, and no one exemplifies that shift more than Taupaki.
He won’t lead the team in sacks or dominate as a pass-rusher, but his size and strength will be crucial for Penn State’s run defense and allow defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to play with light boxes on early downs. A defensive tackle who allows you to get an extra body into coverage or an extra defensive back on the field without sacrificing your run-stuffing can be one of the most overlooked force multipliers on a roster.
When you think of an overlooked addition, it’s rare to point to the wide receiver position, especially a 6-foot-4 pass catcher. However, coming out of Grambling after a stellar redshirt freshman year, Keith Jones Jr. has flown under the radar.
He made 31 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns last season, and with his 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame, he has major upside. Jones may not be WR1 in Happy Valley this season, but he should work his way into a rotation with Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, who were Becht’s top targets at Iowa State.