Penn State football wide receiver Koby Howard sustained a lower body injury in the Nittany Lions' (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) victory over Buffalo in Week 3. Following the contest and into Week 4, head coach Matt Campbell revealed that Howard will be unavailable for an extended period of time.
His absence was immediately felt, especially as Penn State took on its first Big Ten opponent of the 2026 season. In three games, Howard had 344 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and added 24 rushing yards and another score to that as well. In Week 1 and Week 3, he eclipsed the 100-receiving yard mark. In Week 4 vs. Wisconsin, quarterback Rocco Becht threw for just 114 yards.
While the pass game took a step forward against Northwestern as Becht threw for 243 yards, the Nittany Lions' offensive weapons still struggle making plays and getting open. The chemistry between Becht and his former Iowa State teammates is also a bit off, making Howard's absence even more noticeable.
At the time when his injury was first revealed, Campbell anticipated the wideout returning around Week 6 or Week 7, the time period Penn State currently heads into. On Tuesday during his weekly media availability, Campbell revealed that things have been pushed back a little regarding Howard's return.
He shared that Howard is a "couple weeks away," per Zach Seyko of Locked On Nittany Lions.
That not only rules Howard out for the White Out vs. USC on Saturday, but also the Nittany Lions' road game at Michigan in Week 7.
Per Penn State HC Matt Campbell, it doesn't sound like star WR Koby Howard will return until at least after the Michigan game.
— Zach Seyko (@zach_seyko) October 6, 2026
He is still a "couple of weeks away."
Koby Howard's prolonged return to injury likely has him ruled out for USC and Michigan
Having Howard back for at least one of those two games, if not both, was critical. Putting aside the "short week" from Week 4 into Week 5, nothing on offense advanced to the next level that Penn State needs. The pass game is still iffy and the run game is embarrassing. The quick fix to these problems is having Becht's playmaker out there, and that's Howard.
Campbell admitted after the Wisconsin game as well that "[He'd] be a fool to sit up here and say [Penn State] didn't miss [Howard]."
If the Nittany Lions' offense looks like what it did vs. the Badgers and Wildcats with Howard, it certainly won't look any better against the Trojans or Wolverines. Michigan has also failed to meet expectations on the 2026 season, barely scraping out a win against Western Michigan in Week 1 and losing to both Iowa and Minnesota in back-to-back weeks. However, the Wolverines have their bye week to prepare for Penn State. The Nittany Lions have what will likely be another humbling White Out experience before they head to Michigan.
Without Howard, this offense is bleak. It's not ready for the Big Ten at all, and missing Howard for Penn State's two most important games of the season just rubs salt in the wound.
The next time the receiver will be out on the field if this is the last recovery update that pushes back his return will be Oct. 31 vs. Purdue. Having Howard back for the last four games of the season at least gives the Nittany Lions a shot at making a non-playoff bowl game.
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