Matt Campbell is making the team in Blue and White his own, and that process didn’t end when he brought in 39 transfers and 16 freshmen this offseason. It has continued through fall camp as the first-year head coach of the Nittany Lions continues to tinker with his roster.
The latest position move is the first to have a player flipping sides of the ball, as redshirt junior defensive end Bobby Mears has begun working at tight end and fullback. Mears, a James Franklin holdover, is still listed as a defensive end on the official roster, but if he sees the field this year, other than on special teams, it’ll likely be on offense.
“We even moved Bobby Mears from defense over to offense,” Campbell said while praising the depth of his tight end room during his Thursday media availability in Happy Valley. “We thought that was a really good move for us, just to give us some more depth, and even we like to play with a fullback sometimes, and he might have the ability to do that. Collectively, we’re excited about what the group looks like.”
Matt Campbell has added DE Bobby Mears to Penn State deep tight end group
Of course, most of Campbell’s praise at the position was reserved for guys who are expected to play much more: Andrew Rappleyea, Benjamin Brahmer, Gabe Burkle, Cooper Alexander, and even Finn Furmanek, a redshirt junior from State College Area High School. However, it’s at least worth noting that Campbell mentioned Mears and the possibility of the 6-foot-3, 257-pound former defensive end working in the backfield, presumably in short-yardage situations.
Will this move have a huge bearing on the outcome of the season? Certainly not. Mears played just 11 snaps across two games last season, against Nevada and Villanova, and he may not even play that many on offense in 2026. But it’s a continuation of Campbell and his staff actively seeking out ways to maximize the talent on their roster and put their players in the best position to succeed.
Campbell and his staff aren’t afraid to get creative
So far, Campbell has moved Caleb Bacon, an Iowa State transfer who was a former All-Big 12 linebacker, to defensive end. The linebacker room is crowded with the transition from former defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s 3-3-5, which Campbell ran for all 10 seasons in Ames, to his new DC, D’Anton Lynn’s 4-2-5 scheme.
The move, which came early in fall camp, will give Bacon the best chance to see the field and help Lynn put his best 11 guys on the field at the same time. The move, like Mears flipping to the offense, is more designed for short-term gain, plugging gaps on this year’s roster.
His other position move, however, took 2026 4-star quarterback Peyton Falzone and added him to the tight end room as well. Falzone is a stellar athlete at 6-foot-5, 216 pounds, and while he’ll need to add strength and refinement to his game at tight end, his ceiling is probably higher than it was at quarterback.
Falzone wasn’t a part of Campbell’s QB plan. Like defensive end Jackson Ford, he signed with the program before Campbell was hired. Then, Campbell brought Rocco Becht, Alex Manske, and 2026 three-star Kase Evans with him from Iowa State. Rather than let Falzone waste away in the QB room before inevitably transferring next offseason, however, Campbell and his staff got creative and moved him to a position where he’s a better fit for them, and hopefully one that’s a better fit for his skill set.
That’s a long-term move and a big-time upside swing. Decisions like that are where Campbell can really prove his developmental ability and make up for whatever recruiting deficiencies will exist in his program going forward, at least compared to his primary competition in Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Indiana.
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