There's more buzz around the 2026 college football season and a lot of anticipation for what head coach Matt Campbell will do in year one.
Penn State fans will see a lot of new faces, and a few of them have a lot of promise. Quarterback Rocco Becht always gets his flowers, but names like wide receiver Chase Sowell often fly under the radar because of how disappointing that position room can often turn out in Happy Valley.
In his final collegiate season, though, he has a lot to prove and he has his quarterback to help him out. Sowell can be the step in the right direction for the Nittany Lions with more opportunities on game days, staying healthy, and a chip on his shoulder to put together his best season yet before the 2027 NFL Draft.
Penn State's 2027 and 2028 classes are headed in different directions
The 2027 cycle has been a bumpy road for the Nittany Lions, and Rivals300 updated rankings didn't make it any smoother.
Four-star wide receiver Jamir Dean, who was previously committed to Penn State at the start of May, was an unranked Rivals prospect for some time. Just a couple months ago, Dean was a three-star recruit on the rise before he earned his four-star rating.
Dean continues rising up the rankings. Rivals now has the wideout at No. 111 nationally, making him the eighth top riser in the class.
Dwelling on the bad won't do Penn State any good, though. Its 2028 class has promise. If Campbell can build it around four-star quarterback James Armstrong, the Nittany Lions will be in good shape in this cycle.
Four-star wideout Jaden Jones is one skill player Campbell should target as well as four-star Malachi Lee. If he wants to fix the wide receiver mess that persists in Happy Valley, those two are a good way to start.
Preseason expectations on Matt Campbell are ramping up
As the 2026 season approaches, the Matt Campbell-James Franklin comparisons are becoming more frequent.
Urban Meyer sent a reminder that the expectation is for Campbell to do better than Franklin. That's obvious, but that's not happening in one season alone. Franklin had about 12 seasons in Happy Valley, so Campbell has a little grace period. In year one, though, there are some benchmarks he has to meet.
According to Meyer, sustaining momentum is a huge part of this first season, especially with the roster and schedule Campbell was "gifted" in a sense.
So, what does that look like?
For starters, it's getting off to a good start with the non-conference slate and having the team find its footing. Once getting to Big Ten play, it's about tallying up the wins and bouncing back from losses accordingly. As Meyer said, Campbell can't lose momentum. One loss can't be followed up by another.
The Nittany Lions had six wins in 2025. In 2026, Campbell can definitely manage nine.
More: ESPN updates its Transfer Portal rankings, and Penn State has some wins
Only time will tell how Penn State's transfers pan out, but there's a lot more promise in the ones who followed Campbell from Iowa State considering their familiarity with the Nittany Lions' new head coach. There's trust there, and Campbell wouldn't bring them over for no reason.
In ESPN's updated portal rankings, Becht headlines Penn State's additions, obviously. He's ranked No. 17 out of 100, and Max Olson wrote, "When he's healthy and at his best, Becht can certainly be one of the Big Ten's top passers."
The roster was reloaded with other talents as well. Olson ranked tight end Benjamin Brahmer at No. 41 and safety Marcus Neal Jr. at No. 42.
Of course there's also the flip side of these updated rankings as they include former Nittany Lions who opted to transfer after the 2025 season. Tight end Luke Reynolds was placed at No. 48, cornerback A.J. Harris was ranked No. 75, and defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam slotted in at No. 96.
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