In a shocking turn of events, James Franklin was fired 6 games into the 2025 season where Penn State was expected to compete for a National Championship. Matt Campbell arrives in Happy Valley after 10 seasons at Iowa State with the hopes that he can build a College Football Playoff contender with all of the added resources.
The task on hand wasn't easy for Matt Campbell this offseason as James Franklin took some massive pieces with him as did defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Campbell used his former program to land himself building blocks with the hope of proving right away that he's ready to compete for Big Ten Championships.
Grading the Penn State Nittany Lions' pivotal offseason
Most Important Addition: Rocco Becht
After a season filled with inconsistent quarterback play, Drew Allar is out of eligibility and Ethan Grunkmeyer entered the Transfer Portal. Matt Campbell brings Rocco Becht with him who has a ton of experience in this system and will only help with the transition. While Becht doesn’t have as high of a ceiling, he has a much higher floor which will help this offense play at a higher level.
Most Impactful Addition: Ben Brahmer
The best overall player that Matt Campbell was able to bring with him from Iowa State is his star tight end Benjamin Brahmer. This season, Brahmer caught 47 passes for 446 yards and 6 touchdowns as Rocco Becht's safety blanket. Brahmer will need to improve as a run blocker especially against Big Ten competition, but he's going to have a massive impact for the Nittany Lions as a receiver.
Sleeper Addition: Keith Jones Jr
Penn State once again needed to make some moves at wide receiver as the Nittany Lions lost Trebor Pena and Kyron Hudson to the NFL Draft. One of the additions that will fly under the radar as the addition of Grambling State freshman Keith Jones Jr. This season, Jones caught 31 passes for 438 yards and 4 touchdowns as he looks to be a receiver that should take a nice jump as he continues to develop.
Highest Upside Addition: Brock Riker
As a Redshirt Freshman, Texas State center Brock Riker emerged as one of the best offensive linemen in the Country. This season, Brock Riker didn't allow a sack while playing 438 pass blocking snaps. Riker will need to continue to develop as the competition in the Big Ten is much tougher, but he looks to have the makings of an elite offensive lineman.
Biggest Loss: Chaz Coleman
Every time that True Freshman Chaz Coleman stepped onto the field he showed flashes of being a truly elite pass rusher. Instead of having Coleman around long term, the Nittany Lions saw him enter the Transfer Portal and become one of the most sought after players in the Country, landing at Tennessee with Jim Knowles.
Hiring Grade: A
At times it looked like Penn State's coaching search was a total flop as Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, and Kalani Sitake all signed contract extensions. In the end, landing Matt Campbell was a massive win, and a call the Nittany Lions should've made much earlier in the offseason. Campbell built a winner at Iowa State which is tough to do, and he's already building a great staff in State College to continue having success.
Offensive Grade: A-
Matt Campbell had a ton to replace on this offense, but he luckily had a ton of pieces to help make it easier with him at Iowa State. Rocco Becht is a massive addition for this team, and one that will allow the Nittany Lions to compete in the Big Ten next season. The only knock that you can have on this offensive haul is that Penn State should've swung much bigger at running back with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen off to the NFL.
Defensive Grade: B
Penn State suffered the biggest blow on defense with Chaz Coleman, Amare Campbell, AJ Harris, Dejuan Lane, and Xavier Gilliam all transferring to other playoff contenders. The Nittany Lions made some solid additions on defense, but they didn't bring in enough to offset some of the bigger losses. D'Anton Lynn will have a ton he needs to help improve, but he's also shown that he's more than up to the task.
Overall Grade: B+
The Nittany Lions had a successful offseason, but they also kept themselves from making this a home run of an offseason. Taking so long to hire Matt Campbell allowed James Franklin to strip the recruiting class which will have some level of long term impact on the program. Campbell certainly has this team set up to win in the short term, and his early success will determine if he can make it happen on a yearly basis.