This offseason has been about Matt Campbell checking off a series of firsts at Penn State. It was his first recruiting class, then his first transfer portal cycle, first spring practices, and now his first fall camp as the head coach of the Nittany Lions is complete. Soon, his first game in Beaver Stadium will have come and gone.
But before we jump ahead to Week 1, let’s assess all the news that came out of Penn State fall camp 2026 and determine who benefited most from the past month and who wishes they could rewind the clock and get another shot at it.
Winners:
5. Amarion Jackson, WR, freshman
The veteran wide receivers Campbell brought from Iowa State were supposed to be the headliners, and Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen will certainly play major roles this year, but Amarion Jackson was the surprise of the preseason. A three-star recruit in the 2026 class, Jackson flipped from Iowa State to Penn State, and it sounds as though he’s ready to play in the Big Ten right now.
4. Cam Smith, LB, redshirt freshman
Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel are slated to start at linebacker, and Alex Tatsch, who is returning from injury, is generally viewed as the future of the position, but throughout fall camp, Campbell repeatedly highlighted Cael Brezina and Cam Smith. Smith seems to have carved out a place on this year’s defense and in the future plans of Campbell and his staff.
3. Caleb Bacon, DE, redshirt senior
Bacon arrived in Happy Valley as a former All-Big 12 honorable mention linebacker and spent the spring in the second level. However, with a crowded linebacker room, Campbell and D’Anton Lynn moved him to defensive end during fall camp, where he seems to have found a home on this defense.
2. Malachi Goodman, LT, redshirt freshman
The former five-star left tackle hasn’t officially been named the starter on Rocco Becht’s blindside, but Campbell highlighted him as a player who stood out during camp, and it’s becoming clear that he’s going to start atop the depth chart in Week 1 against Marshall.
1. Josiah Zayas, DB, freshman
There are a few true freshmen from Campbell’s 2026 class who seem poised to make an impact in Year 1. Amarion Jackson and Jackson Ford are certainly in the mix for snaps, but neither made an impression like Josiah Zayas, a three-star wide receiver from Piscataway, New Jersey, who flipped to defensive back upon arriving in Happy Valley. Campbell couldn’t stop raving about Zayas all month, and while it’s not exactly clear where it’ll be, he’s going to find playing time this season.
Losers:
3. Connor Barry, QB, redshirt senior
It’s difficult framing to say a player who was seemingly bumped down on the depth chart by the return of another player who had open-heart surgery in the offseason is a “loser” of fall camp. But Barry, a D-III transfer from Christopher Newport University, certainly lost any traction he had for the QB2 job coming out of spring when Alex Manske was away from the team and Rocco Becht was recovering from his offseason shoulder surgery. With Manske back healthy and cleared to play, Barry is clearly QB3.
2. Quinton Martin Jr., RB, redshirt sophomore
After an impressive performance in the Pinstripe Bowl, Martin hung around and added weight to fit offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s preferred running style. He figured to be part of a three-headed monster in the backfield with Carson Hansen and James Peoples, but now it seems as though Cam Wallace has worked his way into the mix as well. Additional options are a good thing for Penn State, but if Wallace carves into anyone’s workload, it’s likely Martin’s.
1. Peyton Falzone, TE, freshman
How is one player (Bacon) who made a position move a winner and another a loser? Well, because Falzone was a four-star quarterback who didn’t even make it through his first fall camp behind center. He’s a great athlete with good size for the position, so it may work out, but he signed with Penn State before Campbell was hired and clearly wasn’t a part of the new staff’s plan at the most important position on the field.
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