Here’s how we graded Penn State head coach Matt Campbell’s transfer portal class
Penn State head coach Matt Campbell has reshaped the Nittany Lion roster ahead of his first season leading the program, bringing in a mix of Iowa State transfers and those from other programs. That includes starting quarterback Rocco Becht, who is going to step in and lead the team from the start.
So how good is Becht? And the rest of the roster overhaul? Here’s a look at our grades.
Quarterback Rocco Becht
Jon Sauber: A-
Yes, there were better quarterbacks available in the portal, but there certainly wasn’t a better fit. Becht spent four years with Campbell at Iowa State, with three as the starter, and has been the only starting quarterback that offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has known since he started calling plays. That familiarity is going to be crucial in the first year of Campbell’s tenure as he works toward building what his program’s identity is going to be.
On the field, Becht is a very good quarterback who has the toughness Campbell wants in the position, while being a good passer who is willing to take risks in the name of creating explosive plays. There is some Trace McSorley to his game and he should be able to create a high baseline for the offense this season.
Josh Moyer: A Let’s not get too cute with this grade, as it seems pretty obvious. Becht was widely regarded as one of the top-10 quarterbacks of the transfer portal, just a notch below superstars like Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt. (ESPN ranked Becht at No. 8.) He was seen as a plug-and-play signal-caller, someone who could make an instant impact on another team. And the fact he fits perfectly with Penn State only helps matters. As Iowa State’s record-breaking QB, he’s obviously very familiar with Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. He knows this scheme and style, he knows how to anticipate and when to take off running — and, best of all, he knows how to win. He should immediately rank as one of the top-3 or top-5 quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Bret Pallotto: A
Having started 39 consecutive games with the Cyclones, Becht will be the most experienced returning Power 4 starter in college football. That’s a big plus for a team working through massive overhaul.
And he’s proven to be more than just a steady hand. He threw for more than 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons at Iowa State, which a Nittany Lion hasn’t done since Trace McSorley in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Offensive portal additions
Sauber: B+
This grade is only lower than it could have been because of the position Penn State didn’t address. But let’s start with the positives, most of whom came from Iowa State. The running back room should be a strength again with James Peoples (Ohio State) and Carson Hansen coming in, and so should the tight end room, with Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle adding to what Andrew Rappleyea brings. Of course, fans will care most about the wide receivers — arguably the worst position on the team in the last few years. There’s good news there, too, with Chase Sowell being a legitimate No. 1 option and Brett Eskildsen having plenty of upside to go with his blazing speed.
The problem here is at offensive tackle, where there were no big-time additions, leaving the team’s returners to compete for the starting left tackle job. Every team in the country is usually chasing good tackles, so I get why Penn State wasn’t able to add an elite one, but it would’ve been helpful to bring in another player to compete at the position this season.
Moyer: A- Matt Campbell’s impressive haul in the transfer portal should allow Penn State to avoid a multi-year rebuild. Even if you take QB Rocco Becht out of the equation, the Nittany Lions plugged a lot of holes. TE Benjamin Brahmer (Iowa State) was a Mackey semifinalist last season, WR Chase Sowell (Iowa State) boasts a high floor as the expected No. 1 outside target, and OL Brock Riker (Texas State) is one of the better pass-blocking centers in the country. With the departure of four key offensive linemen, Campbell brought depth by adding four Cyclones to complement Riker. And, overall, 20 offensive transfers were added to the roster. The only reason this isn’t graded an A is because there’s no proven star power at running back — although James Peoples (Ohio State) and Carson Hansen (Iowa State) certainly have potential.
Pallotto: B+
Tell me if you’ve heard this before: The Penn State offense figures to be led by its running backs and tight ends. Wide receiver has been a landmine for far too long, and I’m not going to be foolish enough to say with certainty that this year will be different.
But I do think there’s enough wiggle room to allow for optimism. Sowell and Eskildsen — listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 6 feet, 1 inch tall, respectively — have each shown an ability to be explosive playmakers.
The offensive line appears to be more of an open question, but I wonder if Campbell is happy with the competition that should come for those five spots.
Defensive portal additions
Sauber: A-
Penn State did a really good job filling needs on defense and even added players who should bring more value than anticipated based on what I’ve seen. That starts at defensive end with Alexander McPherson, who has a chance to lead the program in sacks this season. He’ll be playing alongside much bigger defensive tackles than Penn State usually has after it added a lot of interior size with Keanu Williams (UCLA), Dallas Vakalahi (Utah) and Armstrong Nnodim (Oklahoma State) among others. The linebacker room was re-shaped with several additions from the Cyclones in Caleb Bacon (who could be a pass rusher at PSU), Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina.
And the secondary is where the real strength lies. Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper should start immediately and be two of the best defensive backs in the Big Ten, with Jamison Patton figuring into the starting mix as well. This group is going to look much different next season and should be the strength of the team because of the talent brought in.
Moyer: B+ This finished just a notch below the offense, but it’s similar in a lot of ways: There aren’t a lot of blue-chip prospects or high-ceiling game-changers here but, with 18 additions, there are a lot of future starters and stabilizing forces. Overall, it’s a win for Campbell and Penn State. The Nittany Lions added needed depth to defensive tackle and the secondary, and that’s where some of their most promising prospects are. DBs Marcus Neal and Jeremiah Cooper, both from Iowa State, should immediately contend for all-conference honors. DTs Siale Taupaki (Hawaii) and Keanu Williams (UCLA) are two space-eaters — at 310 and 320 pounds, respectively — that should shore up the run defense in their lone year of eligibility.
Pallotto: B+
I’ll echo what my colleagues had to say about Penn State’s secondary, largely because I’m most interested to see how defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn utilizes Taupaki and Williams. They’re much larger defensive tackles than the Nittany Lions have deployed in recent years and their success could give their play-caller a lot of options.
This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 4:03 PM.
