Matt Campbell reveals season-ending Max Granville loss after Temple win

Max Granville reclassified into the 2024 recruiting class and immediately climbed the Penn State depth chart as a teenager, to the point that he was playing meaningful snaps at defensive end in the College Football Playoff. Then, he suffered an offseason injury that sidelined him for all of 2025, and now he’ll miss the rest of the 2026 campaign. 

After Penn State’s 27-9 win at Temple on Saturday, in which Max Granville did not play a snap, head coach Matt Campbell announced that Granville suffered an injury in practice on Thursday that will keep him out for the year. Campbell did not specify the type of injury, only the severity, describing it as long-term.  

Granville was slated to be a top defensive end for new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, starting opposite Yvan Kemajou, who, like Granville, stayed in Happy Valley through the offseason transition from James Franklin to Campbell. Now, Granville’s future is in doubt, and the Nittany Lions are without a key piece of their defensive front. 

Yvan Kemajou’s anticipated breakout will be an even bigger deal with Granville out

Penn State has had a few candidates to be the next elite edge rusher since Abdul Carter went to the NFL. First, it was Granville after his promising true freshman year. Then, it was Yvan Kemajou, who arrived in January as a member of the 2025 class. However, in the summer, Chaz Coleman showed up and usurped Kemajou before transferring to Tennessee this offseason, where he has since departed. 

Once it became clear that Campbell was keeping both Granville and Kemajou, Penn State appeared to have two chances at a breakout on the edge of its defense, with veteran transfers Ikenna Ezeogu and Alexander McPherson as depth behind them. This injury cuts those odds in half and makes it even more paramount that Kemajou improves in Year 2. 

Kemajou had a sack and a tackle for loss against Temple on Saturday. It was the lone sack of former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who transferred to Temple this offseason. 

Penn State’s Caleb Bacon position change looks prescient

The Nittany Lions did have depth on the edge courtesy of Ezeogu, who can move inside and out depending on Penn State’s alignment, and McPherson. However, neither has been an every-down player in their career. 

Iowa State transfer Caleb Bacon has been an every-down player and an All-Big 12 honorable mention in his career, but at linebacker in former Iowa State DC Jon Heacock’s 3-3-5 system. For Lynn’s 4-2-5 defense, Campbell and Lynn decided he was a better fit on the edge, moving him there during fall camp, and that move is now critical as he’ll likely be the starter opposite Kemajou. 

The Nittany Lions have an answer without Granville, but may not have the same level of pass-rush juice without him. And for Granville, the injury could be even more significant, missing his second season. With the new five-for-five eligibility rules, Granville will have just two years of eligibility left after 2026, regardless of his poor injury luck.

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