Penn State football overhauled its roster and coaching staff. Here are 5 takeaways

Matt Campbell’s first offseason as Penn State’s head coach has brought sweeping changes to the program. The Nittany Lions replaced nearly their entire coaching staff and added a wave of transfers after a disappointing 6-6 regular season in 2025.

FULL STORY: Here’s everything you need to know after Penn State football turned over its program

Here are the highlights:

• Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht will start in 2026, bringing 9,274 career passing yards and 64 touchdowns from his four seasons with the Cyclones.

• Taylor Mouser takes over as offensive coordinator, running a scheme similar to predecessor Andy Kotelnicki but with more vertical shots down the field and less pre-snap deception.

• D’Anton Lynn replaces Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator and will simplify the scheme after Penn State struggled to adjust to Knowles’ system last season.

• Key Iowa State transfers joining Becht include tight end Benjamin Brahmer, receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, running back Carson Hansen, and safeties Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper.

• Penn State’s light 2026 schedule puts 10 wins within reach, though the roster is less talented than last year’s team that began with national title hopes.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published February 3, 2026 at 7:32 AM.