Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser have quite a few offensive weapons on ther hands, even more than expected before the start of fall camp.
The skill players in particular from the wide receiver, tight end, and running back rooms just keep stacking on top of one another.
Wide receiver production hasn't been the Nittany Lions' strong suit in the past, and Campbell has called for his wideouts to maintain consistency and reach new levels of their games this season. At tight end, Mouser is working with a ton of talent in terms of pass catching and blocking that he can use in various personnel groupings.
The running back room is headlined by senior transfer Carson Hansen and junior transfer James Peoples as a very close second. Hansen had 952 yards and six touchdowns over 11 games in 2025 at Iowa State, tacking on an additional 134 receiving yards on 19 receptions. At Ohio State as a sophomore, Peoples logged 344 rushing yards and three scores on 61 attempts as well as 10 catches for 50 yards.
Matt Campbell plans on using all four running backs in 2026
Campbell told reporters that those two guys have continued performing well in camp. That third running back spot has been a question mark, though. Redshirt junior Cam Wallace and redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr. have competed for that role this preseason, and Campbell finally gave answers as to what that room will look like this fall.
"The reality is, at that position, you're going to need a lot of them," he told media. "It's rare that you find tailbacks that can do all the things within the offense. They can all pass protect, they can all run, they can all catch, and so we're excited about that room. I think it's continued to progress forward and my guess is we'll need them all, whether it's even on offense or special teams. All those guys I think will be great factors for us."
What makes this four-person running back room so great for Campbell isn't only health, sustainability, and versatility but also getting those guys playing time in various phases of the game.
Wallace and Martin haven't seen the amount of time on the field they may have wanted in the past because of now-NFL backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Adding Hansen and Peoples into the mix makes that battle into the backfield on game days tougher, but a healthy rotation will give those two meaningful snaps. Their use on special teams as potential kickoff and punt returners also offers opportunities to be impact players.
If Hansen and Peoples took all the reps from Wallace and Martin, they're less likely to feel valued and confident in returning to Penn State next fall. Campbell had to take advantage of the Transfer Portal when he was hired, but he needs consistency and continuity from one year over to the next now. Meaningful snaps for those two running backs on both offense and special teams should do the trick, ensuring there's no drop-off in talent and production out of the backfield from 2026 to 2027.
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