Penn State football kicked off its first fall camp under new head coach Matt Campbell on Wednesday, and Campbell has big goals in mind for his wide receiver room.
Wideout has been recurring issue for the Nittany Lions in the past, but with the additions of redshirt senior Chase Sowell and junior Brett Eskildsen from Iowa State, Campbell hopes he can change the narrative in that position room immediately in year one.
For Iowa State in 2025, Sowell caught 32 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 41.7 yards per game. At East Carolina, he totaled 81 receptions for 1,300 yards and four scores over two seasons.
Heading into his senior year, Campbell wants to see all the pieces to come together for Sowell on a consistent basis.
"[Sowell's] last step from good to elite because he has elite ability is consistency," Campbell told reporters on Friday. "Man, the ability to be the best. Game in, game out; moment in, moment out. And that's what you would hope for."
Matt Campbell on Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen >>> pic.twitter.com/Vg9ji0oNNe
— Andrew Mercer (@amerc0115) August 7, 2026
Matt Campbell wants consistency at wide receiver, and that's exactly what Penn State needs
Campbell also mentioned receiver Brett Eskildsen. From his true freshman season to 2025, as Campbell noted, Eskildsen took a step forward in his game. He proved himself in year one, spending a majority of his time on special teams, and built on that in year two to be a reliable wideout for the Cyclones. He had 30 receptions for 526 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore.
"Those two guys give you proven reps . . . these guys can do it," Campbell said of the two Iowa State transfers. "Can they do it at the consistency now that the great ones look like."
Consistency isn't just regarding individual players, either. There's versatility in this wide receiver room and different players are on different paths.
While Sowell and Eskildsen work on consistency, returning Nittany Lion Koby Howard works on taking that next step in his game. As a slot receiver, he will be a good third down guy out there for Penn State and can play a major role in critical game moments. Sowell and Eskildsen have already proven themselves in big games, and now it's Howard's turn to do that.
Having these players continue advancing their games, not taking a step back, and having that flow throughout the wide receiver room is the long-term consistency Penn State needs. One season of great pass catching won't cut it on an eight-year contract. Campbell needs to see consistency cycle throughout that position room. With where the wideouts are right now, Campbell has players working at different goals who will eventually fill the shoes of those a step ahead.
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