In Saturday's Week 1 game vs. Marshall, head coach Matt Campbell came away with a lot to celebrate and a lot to look forward to for the 2026 season. Both sides of the ball were buzzing and the Nittany Lions defeated the Thundering Herd 45-0.
One of the biggest storylines that came out of the game, though, was wide receiver Koby Howard.
The wide receiver room has been a sensitive topic in Happy Valley for quite some time. Finding consistency even just within one season, never mind year-to-year, has been a top goal recently and Penn State may have just found it in Howard.
The receivers, in general, shined for the blue and white and didn't allow the clogged up run game to determine the outcome of the contest. The passing game was credited 324 yards of the Nittany Lions' 487 total yards of offense on Saturday. Leading the charge was the sophomore who returned after his true freshman season in 2025.
Howard had six receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown. Following the game, Pro Football Focus College gave him a 95.6 overall grade for his performance. This is the highest-graded game a Penn State wide receiver has ever logged in the PFF era. The college era of PFF began in 2014 — the same year former head coach James Franklin was hired.
Koby Howard: 95.6 PFF Grade in Week 1 vs Marshall
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 7, 2026
Highest Graded Game EVER by a Penn State WR in the PFF Era👀@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/u58kyLPriS
Koby Howard gets awarded highest PFF grade in Penn State wide receiver history
Howard was a silent killer entering the 2026 season who was expected to be an under-the-radar breakout star. He made sure to get on everyone's radar right out of the gate in Week 1. In 2025, Howard had seven catches for 133 yards across nine games (four starts). It took just one Saturday this season for him to exceed that.
Franklin may have wanted to hide Howard as a true freshman, but Campbell has no interest in not utilizing the talent on his roster.
He proved that he can be Penn State's No. 1 wideout in a receiver room featuring Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen who followed Campbell and quarterback Rocco Becht to Happy Valley. In addition to standing out among the other wide receivers, Howard showed that he can even outperform the tight ends. During fall camp, the tight ends were favorite targets of the quarterbacks, but it was all Howard when it came to game time.
The passing game in general should continue bringing out the best in the pass catchers, whether it's Howard, the other receivers, or tight ends. Saturday was proof things are turning around for the blue and white for the better and quickly at that. Nothing says a new chapter in Happy Valley than a promising wide receiver living up to and exceeding expectations while already making history fast.
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