A positive injury update from Penn State football is the perfect way to kick off fall camp, which is exactly what happened.
With linebacker Tony Rojas and tight end Andrew Rappleyea out there practicing as full participants to start camp, both the offense and defense have core culture pieces back.
They were expected to return, but seeing them out there is a whole different feeling. For Rojas, especially, his absence left a gaping hole in the Nittany Lions' defense in 2025. Rappleyea finished out the season, so having him back with some time to spare before 2026 ensures the offense will retain some consistency despite the other massive changes to the program and roster in the offseason.
Penn State football kicks off fall camp on a strong note
The Nittany Lions have had a great start to their fall camp with certain players standing out, position battles heating up, and a new offensive era clearly unfolding for Penn State. Here are the highlights from the first week of camp:
New offensive identity:
- Campbell shared that 12 personnel will ideally be "home base" for the Nittany Lions' offense in 2026
- This features two tight ends on the field, taking advantage of the versatile talent in Andrew Rappleyea, Benjamin Brahmer, and Gabe Burkle
- While not common in the NCAA, expect to see Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser use some 13 personnel to get all three tight ends out there
Left tackle battle:
- Left tackle Malachi Goodman is impressing Campbell and his staff early on in camp
- It's not official that Goodman has won the starting job, but it's heading in that direction as Campbell challenged the redshirt freshman to separate himself from Owen Aliciene and Garrett Sexton
Exciting position change on defense:
- Defenseman Caleb Bacon has made a position change from linebacker to edge rusher
- Campbell was pleased with his performance at linebacker during the spring, but doesn't want to pass up on his talent on the edge
- Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter were other former Nittany Lions who made position changes during their collegiate and NFL careers
Quarterback certainty:
- Quarterback Alex Manske is back and healthy for Penn State, and Campbell can't stop talking about the sophomore's athleticism, arm talent, and mental toughness at the position
- Campbell said Manske is "playing as good of football in the last two days as we’ve witnessed [him] play in his entire career"
Wide receiver hopes:
- Penn State's wide receiver room is highlighted by Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen, and Koby Howard
- Campbell wants Sowell and Eskildsen to make the jump from good to great/elite with more consistency in their games
- Howard is on a different step in his career, but is on his way to getting to where Sowell and Eskildsen are currently
- Expect to see more consistency short-term and long-term out of this wide receiver room's production over 2026 and beyond
Penn State field hockey gets exciting schedule news
The Nittany Lions' field hockey team received good news regarding its 17-game schedule in 2026. Its game vs. Delaware, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6 was changed to a home game.
This gives Penn State a 10-game home advantage on the season with its first away game occurring at the end of September. The Nittany Lions have six consecutive home games before taking the road, thanks to the schedule adjustment. In 2025, they went 6-2 at home, so this is a huge advantage for Penn State this season.
In addition to the location adjustment, the Nittany Lions will also be on national television once again. Their game vs. Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 16 will be televised on Big Ten Network.
All nine conference teams will have a game televised nationally, and this game for Penn State is a big rematch. In 2025 when the Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions, the game killed postseason hopes for the blue and white as Ohio State took the final seed in the Big Ten Tournament with that win.
More: Josh Reed returns to Penn State men's basketball for 2026
Following a federal court matter regarding the NCAA's new eligibility, "five-in-five" rule, Class of 2022 student-athletes were granted another year of eligibility. Prior to the ruling, these athletes were not put under the new rule's umbrella meaning they would not have an additional season left in their eligibility.
Other basketball teams, such as Tennessee, have already benefited from this new ruling. Now, Penn State men's basketball is experiencing the same.
BREAKING: Josh Reed will play for Penn State basketball this upcoming season, per the team.
— Will Horstman (@WillHorstman_) August 6, 2026
Reed was recently granted a fifth year of eligibility following the injunction in Ohio for high school Class of 2022 players. He averaged 11.5 PPG and 4.1 RPG as a senior last season pic.twitter.com/MELRBHT3P9
Josh Reed, who was a senior for the Nittany Lions in 2025, falls under this new ruling which grants an additional year of eligibility. Reed will now return to Happy Valley for 2026.
He transferred to Penn State for the 2025 season. In his one year with the Nittany Lions, Reed was 48.8 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from beyond the arc, and averaged 11.5 points, one assist, and one steal per contest.
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