The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Reviewing Penn State’s first spring under Matt Campbell
Penn State wrapped up spring ball Saturday and will now head fully into the offseason, with fall camp a few months away — and then the first game of the Matt Campbell era only a month later.
What stood out this spring? Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
Good
Rocco Becht getting reps: There isn’t a player in Penn State’s program more important this fall than Rocco Becht. He’s an experienced starting quarterback who has plenty of reps with his top two receivers and top tight end — but he’s still brand new to Penn State and going to have to adjust to playing against Big Ten caliber defenses. Getting him on the field this spring, even if it was just for 7-on-7 reps and individual work, was always going to be a priority for the Nittany Lions. The fact that he cleared those benchmarks is a good sign for the offense moving forward. He was able to continue working with his receivers while helping the rest of the offense learn offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s scheme and style. Becht’s offseason surgery on the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder had him behind, but he did a good job of catching up this spring.
Offensive line: The Penn State offensive front should take on a different mentality this year under offensive line coach Ryan Clanton — and it will likely be a welcome one for fans. Clanton has emphasized physicality at the position, and the Nittany Lions have plenty of it, especially on the interior. Right now, Trevor Buhr, Brock Riker and Cooper Cousins look like the likely starters from left guard to right guard, giving the group a good blend of power and athleticism. And Anthony Donkoh should slot in at right tackle once he recovers from an offseason injury, with the only real question being left tackle. Right now, Malachi Goodman is in excellent position to win that job and is the kind of high-upside player that could allow the entire group to take a big step forward. He’s a former five-star recruit and if he wins the job, there’s no reason for Penn State not to get high-level play from all five positions up front.
Secondary: It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after Terry Smith stayed as cornerbacks coach and Deon Broomfield was brought in as safeties coach, but the Penn State secondary should once again be one of the strongest in the Big Ten. Daryus Dixson appears to have taken another big leap forward at cornerback and should be an all-conference level player this season. He’s likely to start alongside Audavion Collins, who played very well last season and is also primed to take a step forward in this defense. Nickel Zion Tracy has received praise from everyone who has spoken about him and should be a versatile weapon for defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to use. Marcus Neal Jr. was one of the best safeties in the Big 12 last year and that should carry over to the Big Ten, while Jamison Patton should be a quality starter at the other safety spot.
Run defense: Penn State’s defense looks very different from last year, largely because the defensive tackles are so much bigger than they were in 2025. Every defensive tackle on the roster has high-end strength and size — even if they aren’t all shaped the same way. That’s especially true of Armstrong Nnodim, who is built unlike any other player on the roster. He does not have great length or height, but he might be the strongest player on the team and has elite power in his hands that allows him to push through most linemen in front of him. He’s one of several defensive tackles who can both occupy blocks and move the interior of the opposing offensive line, which will only free up linebackers like Tony Rojas and Caleb Bacon to make plays when the season rolls around.
Wide receivers: I know, I know, everyone will believe it when they see it on Saturdays. But I firmly believe fans will actually get to see high-level wide receiver play from Penn State this fall. Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen were limited this spring, but both of those players have proven they can play very well in college football — especially Sowell, who I think will be a true No. 1 for the offense this season. Their absence allowed Koby Howard and Karon Brookins to get more reps during the spring, and from the sound of things, both took advantage. They’re both entering their second season of college football and should have significant roles as rotation wide receivers. While neither is likely to surpass Eskildsen or Sowell on the depth chart (which is a good thing), they should still be able to make an impact on the offense.
Bad
Backup quarterback situation: The most concerning tangible roster issue right now is at backup quarterback. Projected backup Alex Manske underwent a medical procedure in the offseason and has a chance to be back for the fall, but that’s not a certainty. If he were full-go, this would not be an issue at all. He’s a high-upside player who was in line to be Becht’s successor at quarterback in 2027 if all went well. With him missing spring, Connor Barry was forced into the backup role — and occasionally the top spot in situations when Becht couldn’t participate — and played relatively well. But he’s still not a Big Ten-level starter and is highly unlikely to get to that point. That’s going to put even more pressure on Becht to both get and stay healthy in order for this team to hit its ceiling this season.
Ugly
The unknown: The beauty of spring ball is that, as long as a team gets out unhealthy, there isn’t a ton to be concerned about. That’s especially true this year for Penn State, with Campbell taking over the program and essentially turning it on its head. Everything is new, which means, on some level, everything is exciting. But that also means it’s impossible to know exactly how things will go for the Nittany Lions this year. Becht is getting healthy, I think Lynn and Mouser are both high-end coordinators with high-end talent, and there’s legitimate talent on this roster. But until we see this team play on a fall Saturday, we’re just not going to know what to expect in 2026. The schedule shapes up well for Penn State to have success this season. It’s just a matter of figuring out what exactly success looks like.
