Through the first three games of 2026, Koby Howard became the first Penn State wide receiver with two 100+ yard games in a season since Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington in 2021. Behind that hot start, the sophomore is still No. 2 on the team in receiving yards despite not seeing the field since Week 3.
Howard left Penn State’s win over Buffalo with an injury, and without him, the Nittany Lions are 0-4. Coming out of their bye in Week 8, head coach Matt Campbell informed the media on Tuesday that Howard is back on the practice field, but added that he’s still “questionable” for Week 9 when Penn State hosts Purdue at Beaver Stadium.
“We've got to make sure he's healthy and truly ready to play," Campbell told reporters.
Koby Howard still “questionable for Saturday with Purdue at Beaver Stadium
It’s great news for Penn State that Howard is “progressing in a really positive way,” as Campbell said, and smart of the coaching staff to be cautious with him considering the state of the season.
As nice as it would be to have Howard back on the field on Saturday, his long-term health is more important than the 2026 team’s quest to bowl eligibility after losing four games in his absence. Even if Penn State won out the rest of the way, it would not have shot at the Big Ten Championship Game or the College Football Playoff, so ultimately, taking a longer-term view is the way to proceed.
It seems that's the view Campbell is taking: "I do think getting Koby back will be a huge asset to our football team, and I think that's why we have got to make sure he's healthy and truly ready to play on the football field and making sure that we get the Koby that you saw the first three games of the season, not a shell of Koby."
Howard showed enough in the first three games of the season to walk into 2027 as a key component of the Penn State passing game, if not the clear-cut No. 1 target for either Alex Manske or whoever the program plucks out of the transfer portal at quarterback. It would be useful to see Howard operate against Big Ten competition, and it seems that’s going to happen; if not in Week 9, then likely in Week 10 or 11.
Chase Sowell’s huge game vs. Michigan may have bought Howard more time
When Howard was first injured, he posted on social media indicating that he expected to return for Penn State’s Week 7 clash against Michigan. Had the team been undefeated or sitting at just one loss on their way up to Ann Arbor, maybe that would have been in the cards, but as it stood at 3-3, it never appeared that Howard was anywhere close to getting back on the field.
Without Howard, Sowell stepped up and became Rocco Becht’s favorite target in a pass-heavy game plan against the Wolverines. Sowell caught a career-high 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, giving Becht a pressure release and the passing game the vertical element they have been searching for.
Sowell is probably best suited as a No. 2 with Howard as the focal point of the passing game, but if Sowell could victimize the Michigan defense, he should be fine against a leaky Purdue secondary. That likelihood may allow Penn State to be cautious with Howard as well.
Penn State will release its first availability report of the week on Wednesday night, and Howard is likely to be listed as “questionable.”
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