It's never too early to look at who could be the top prospects of the 2027 NFL Draft.
In 2026, Penn State football had eight of its own drafted, including first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane, third-round pick Drew Allar, and fourth-round picks Drew Shelton and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Next April, there may not be many multi-year Nittany Lions taken in the draft, but the recently dropped 2027 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl watch list is indicative of how successful head coach Matt Campbell was in the portal this offseason.
Penn State was represented 19 times on the watch list, which groups together 1,000 of the best players eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. Of those 19 Nittany Lions, 15 are those Campbell plucked out of the Transfer Portal.
- Linebacker Caleb Bacon*
- Tight end Benjamin Brahmer*
- Offensive guard Trevor Buhr*
- Tight end Gabe Burkle*
- Cornerback Audavion Collins
- Cornerback Jeremiah Cooper*
- Offensive guard Anthony Donkoh
- Linebacker Kooper Ebel*
- Wide receiver Brett Eskildsen*
- Edge rusher Ikenna Ezeogu*
- Running back Carson Hansen*
- Safety Marcus Neal Jr.*
- Wide receiver Chase Sowell*
- Interior defensive lineman Siale Taupaki*
- Cornerback Zion Tracy
- Interior defensive lineman Keanu Williams*
* indicates transfer
Taupaki and Williams are the only two who didn't transfer from Iowa State. In 2025, both lineman were at UCLA with new Penn State defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn. The other 13 followed Campbell from Ames to Happy Valley in the offseason. Though he had no choice but to his the portal hard, it's evident he "won the offseason" in a way considering the recognition many of his transfers already received.
Not all of these players will be one-and-done at Penn State, either. While all of them are eligible for the draft, guys like Buhr, Donkoh, Eskildsen, Neal Jr., and Riker will all be eligible to return after the 2026 season. Whether they declare for the draft or not will be determined on their performance this season, but five highly skilled players recognized at the NFL level surely wouldn't be too bad to have back on the roster in the future.
Especially if Campbell can build on this foundation, getting those players back would be huge for the Nittany Lions. Consistency is key, and it's important that moving forward, Campbell doesn't have to rely on the Transfer Portal for elite talent. For year one, it's expected and it's great that he succeeded as much as he did. Moving forward, Campbell should aim for more stability on the roster.
On top of having plenty of transfers on the watch list, the Nittany Lions tied with Ohio State for most players selected from the Big Ten.
These players will have the chance to compete in practices and the bowl game on Feb. 4, 2027 in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and front office personnel.
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