Is this the move that's going to save Penn State and Athletic Director Pat Kraft from all the embarrassment that has followed the program in recent months? That could be the case, as new rumors have arrived on the search and it's enough to get fans fired up, but also be careful with their optimism.
According to Tyler Donohue of 247Sports, his sources are telling him that Penn State and Kraft have shifted their attention to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. What?! Campbell was a name that popped up shortly after James Franklin was fired, but we hadn't heard much about him in a bit of a while. Could this be where Penn State turns to?
Penn State LB sends pointed message to Pat Kraft with Brian Daboll rumors swirling
Feedback to @Lions247 from a Big 12 coach on Matt Campbell as Penn State appears to be working toward hire:
— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) December 4, 2025
"Great X’s and O’s guy. Plays tough, physical football. He’s a disciplinarian. And he’s always difficult to match up with. The question is, can he be a dynamic recruiter?" https://t.co/yj2tmp1dEO
Matt Campbell is reportedly a candidate for the Penn State job
Per the Vegas oddsmakers, it looks like Campbell's odds to take over at Penn State have flown up too. Does Sin City know something we don't? Things are totally up in the air here, but speculation keeps coming in on Thursday night that Campbell and Penn State are having discussions.
It's been hard to keep track of all the misses for Kraft this fall, with the list including Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, Kalani Sitake and others. This week alone, reports have arrived that Brian Daboll, formerly of the New York Giants, is in the mix.
At the same time, linebacker Tony Rojas has made it more than clear that the guys inside of the locker room want Terry Smith to be given the job. Smith had an interview with Kraft, but it's up in the air if he'll land the full-time role or not. While Smith waits, Jordan Schultz reported that UConn and Memphis are interested in hiring him.
All this does is confirm that Kraft needs to move fast with a decision one way or the other. If he sits on his hands with Smith, he could risk losing the veteran coach to one of those two schools. However, with this new Campbell rumor arriving, maybe Kraft wants to see if he can poach him from Iowa State first? Things are a bit fluid here, but the Campbell news has a lot of people talking. Will it lead to a hire? Stay tuned, as there's certainly more to come out of Happy Valley and this search that simply must end soon.