On Wednesday, a court ruling deemed Marshall star cornerback Boogie Trotter ineligible for a fifth year of college football. Penn State is a 24.5-point favorite in its Week 1 home opener against Marshall, so it was already widely expected that the Matt Campbell era would begin 1-0 in Happy Valley, but this ruling should help the Nittany Lions' chances.
Trotter, a former Class of 2022 recruit who exhausted his fourth year of eligibility at Marshall last season, was granted a fifth year of eligibility by a nationwide injunction this summer. He rejoined the Thundering Herd, but when the NCAA won a stay against that injunction in August, he was forced to file a state-level case for a preliminary injunction to use his fifth year of eligibility.
On Wednesday, that case was denied, deeming Trotter and wide receiver Demarcus “Floyd” Lacey ineligible for the 2026 season. Both were removed from the Marshall roster just a few days before heading to Penn State.
Penn State may have been better served facing Marshall with Trotter and Lacey
Trotter was one of the best defensive players in the Sun Belt last season. He led the 5-7 Thundering Herd with 73 tackles, a rarity for a defensive back, and had a team-high five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. He was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team.
Lacey led the team in receiving last year, catching 65 passes for 769 yards and five touchdowns. He was a versatile weapon who also rushed for 157 yards on 19 carries. His loss is also significant for the Marshall offense.
While Trotter and Lacey undeniably increased Marshall’s chances of pulling a monumental upset on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, it probably would have been better for Penn State to play Marshall with two of its best players.
For all the change at Penn State this offseason, there is a lot of familiarity on this team, particularly offensively. Rocco Becht arrived at Penn State with his five leading receivers from last season and his play-caller, Taylor Mouser. That group shouldn’t take long to coalesce this year, and facing a player like Trotter could keep them sharp along the Nittany Lions’ soft start to the schedule.
As the Big Ten beefed up, Penn State opted not to add Power Conference opponents to its non-conference slate. Last season, James Franklin’s Nittany Lions navigated the first three weeks with wins over Nevada, FIU, and Villanova. This season, Penn State faces Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo before hosting Wisconsin to kick off Big Ten play.
A matchup with Wisconsin may be considered dipping your toe into the Big Ten, but the Badgers spent big this offseason, giving Luke Fickell one last chance to prove his worth in Madison. They could be a problematic matchup for a Penn State team that hasn’t been tested at all through the first three weeks.
Wisconsin certainly will have a few battle scars after beginning the year at Lambeau Field against Notre Dame on Sunday.
Now, with Trotter roaming the secondary, Marshall isn’t suddenly akin to playing Notre Dame. Not by a long shot. But he would force Becht to be more precise, his receivers to be crisper through their routes, and the offense, as a whole, to play a bit closer to how it will need to perform once the Big Ten slate begins.
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