It’s no secret that Penn State has missed wide receiver Koby Howard. He was the most dynamic playmaker through three weeks, and the team hasn’t found one close in the three games he’s missed. Howard will not return for Week 7, but his absence isn’t the only significant injury that Matt Campbell spoke about in his Tuesday press conference.
Campbell also touched on the status of his two young linebackers who have been out, Alex Tatsch and Cam Smith. Smith, who has been out longer, is “working back into practice this week,” but “we still don’t know” how long Tatsch, who was injured in practice last week before the 31-23 loss to USC, will be out.
Smith generated some buzz in fall camp and will be a useful piece if he’s able to go against Michigan in Week 7, as Penn State played just three off-ball linebackers in Week 6: Tony Rojas, Kooper Ebel, and Cael Brezina. Smith may not just work into the rotation, but could potentially begin to unseat Ebel, who has struggled since the start of Big Ten play.
Smith, however, is likely not the future green-dot MIKE linebacker for this unit. That’s what Tatsch has been billed as since he began to impress last year as a true freshman. And, with Ebel playing poorly, he could get that chance now if he were healthy, so this injury isn’t just a big deal for right now; if it lingers, it could have knock-on effects for the future.
Alex Tatsch needs a chance to prove he’s the future MIKE
With three losses already on the resume, Penn State is effectively eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. Now, college football isn’t a zero-sum sport; there’s no reason to tank for draft positioning or anything like that, but in a situation like Penn State’s, where even making a bowl doesn’t feel like a certainty and won’t be treated as a meaningful result, evaluation is the name of the game for the rest of the season.
Campbell and general manager Derek Hoodjer will be tasked with completely flipping a roster they threw together hastily after leaving Iowa State late in the process and doing so without much of a 2026 recruiting class to step into significant roles. That’s not easy; it won’t be cheap, and Penn State isn’t spending like a serious Big Ten contender, so finding wins on the margins, like backup QB Alex Manske assuredly stepping into the starting role or having certainty around Tatsch as next year’s green dot linebacker, will help the program save money to spend it elsewhere.
But it’s hard not to go searching for a green-dot MIKE linebacker if you’re not sure Tatsch is good enough to handle the role. Like quarterback, though to a significantly lesser degree, it’s too important a position to leave up to chance.
From a pure athleticism standpoint, a healthy Tatsch is an upgrade over Ebel. Tatsch was primarily working into the rotation as a SAM linebacker in 4-3 alignments, but after Ebel’s performances over the last two weeks, there’s no reason not to try him at MIKE.
The question, if he were healthy, would be whether he’s mentally equipped to handle the task at a young age with a first-year defensive coordinator in D’Anton Lynn. That’s useful information Penn State will miss out on if his injury lingers. At least the team already knows Koby Howard is great when he’s healthy.
Howard’s presence will be vital in evaluating Manske if Campbell eventually replaces Rocco Becht. Even with Becht, Howard is important because he’ll allow the rest of the pieces in the passing game to slot into a more natural role, allowing Campbell and OC Taylor Mouser to decide who should be back next year in that receiving corps to complement him.
However, as it pertains to this season, Howard’s greater impact on the outcome of games as compared to Tatsch is largely irrelevant because the goal should be to build for next year.
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