Penn State retains key player in the locker room and on the offensive line

The 2026 Penn State football team just got a little bit better as one of its most high-upside players announced his return.

Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins announced on Twitter/X that he's returning to Happy Valley with a simple message proclaiming his love for Penn State: "Ready to get back to work! I BLEED BLUE AND WHITE."

Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein heading back to his old stomping grounds

The former four-star and No. 1 interior offensive lineman of the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports Composite rankings, previously appeared only in a backup role with rotational opportunities for the Nittany Lions. However, his destiny seems much larger than that.

That's spoken with his commitment to return. He's the first to announce out of all players eligible to return that he'll suit up in blue and white come 2026 and to seize opportunities for a larger role.

"I'm looking for more opportunities. I'm ready to attack the opportunities that I'm given," Cousins told The Daily Collegian in November. "Obviously, got banged up a little bit this year ... When it's my opportunity to capitalize, I'm ready to capitalize on whatever opportunities that I'm given."

Now, he'll get those opportunities. The 2025 starters in the trenches, guard Olaivavega Ioane, center Nick Dawkins, and tackles Nolan Rucci and Drew Shelton, are all departing with NFL dreams. Cousins will undoubtedly get called upon in 2026 to fill in after appearing in all 12 games in 2025 and even earning two starts. In the Pinstripe Bowl, his second start of the season, Cousins played 78 snaps and allowed just two sacks.

The Erie, Penn. native stands at six-foot-six-inches and weighs 316 pounds, both top-five measurements on the roster. With that size, he has the ability to put it all together as a force on the line.

It doesn't just stop with play on the field. The sophomore brings great off-the-field intangibles and is heralded as a beloved team figure, potentially putting him in line for a captain role whether that's in 2026 or 2027.

Cousins' post about "Bleeding blue and white" is quite accurate. He first visited State College in 2021, three years before enrolling. He then committed to former head coach James Franklin's squad in 2022 and attended numerous Penn State camps. Cousins never considered his other offers.

The former top-ranked player from the Keystone State plays primarily as a center, where he's most experienced. However, Cousins can play anywhere across the front three.

Ultimately, for head coach Matt Campbell, who developed multiple linemen throughout his Iowa State tenure for the NFL, Cousins' versatility and potential is excellent news — especially for a team already handicapped by so many departures via different avenues.