One of the things former Penn State football head coach James Franklin struggled with was finding consistency at wide receiver. Not only consistency in terms of single-season production but consistency year-to-year.
New head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser have already worked on solving that problem before the 2026 season has begun.
Per Zach Seyko of Locked On Nittany Lions, Mouser shared his comfortability playing a chunk of that wide receiver room this season. Alongside Iowa State transfers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen — who were already expected to start — are Koby Howard, Zay Robinson, Keith Jones Jr. and Amarion Jackson.
Penn State OC Taylor Mouser said he feels comfortable playing six receivers in games as of right now.
— Zach Seyko (@zach_seyko) September 1, 2026
- Chase Sowell
- Brett Eskildsen
- Koby Howard
- Zay Robinson
- Keith Jones Jr.
- Amarion Jackson
That's six wideouts in a 14-player room. Last year, Franklin was lucky to trust all three veteran transfers to show up collectively in a game. That's not to say all six will play or that they'll all have amazing games every time they step out on the field. Having options and depth, though, relieves Mouser of a lot of stress if one wide receiver isn't playing up to par.
In addition to the benefit six trustworthy wide receivers bring to the table for Penn State's 2026 season specifically, five of those names are eligible to return in 2027. Rather than have juniors and seniors for one season to try and give that room a boost, Mouser has reliable, consistent players he can count on for more than a year.
Taylor Mouser's trust in his WR room can extend into 2027 and beyond
Redshirt senior Sowell is the only player whose eligibility expires after this season. Eskildsen could opt to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, but with the new NCAA eligibility rules, that's giving up two years of further development.
The junior's situation is a little unique. It depends on how well he performs in 2026, but it's more of a hot take to think he'll depart after this season.
The players who will definitely return, and hopefully return to Happy Valley barring any disastrous performances this year, are Jackson, Robinson, Jones, and Howard. Howard and Robinson have found themselves in competition for that WR3 role, but given the number of wideouts Mouser trusts on this roster, those two should have no problem getting their fair share of time on the field.
Howard (sophomore) and Jones (redshirt sophomore) are the oldest of that quartet, which means Mouser can have continuity in the receiver room for over two seasons. That's huge and that's something Penn State needs if it wants to get back into national title contention.
Five of these players listed are also tied to the Cyclones. Four of them transferred and Jackson was a former Iowa State commit who followed Campbell and Co. to Happy Valley as well. Adding onto that transfer success, Jackson being a true freshman and catching the attention and trust of the Nittany Lions' offensive coordinator is a big deal.
In the mix of all this wide receiver hope, Karon Brookins has also been a bright spot. Mouser said during fall camp that Brookins' return has added to that position room, though it's unlikely he'll log meaningful snaps considering Mouser's group of six he has to work with. If Brookins continues developing, Penn State's depth at wide receiver won't be shallow anytime soon in the near future.
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