Five true freshmen to watch in Matt Campbell’s first season at Penn State
The season opener is only a few months away for Penn State football and new head coach Matt Campbell, with the Marshall Thundering Herd coming to State College to play in Beaver Stadium on Sept. 5. We’ve begun to take a look at the most important players on offense and defense, along with potential breakout candidates for the Nittany Lions.
Now, let’s look at five true freshmen worth monitoring in 2026.
Defensive end Jackson Ford
Ford is already a favorite among Penn State fans after he decided to stay committed despite the program not having a head coach when the early signing period hit in early December. He enrolled early in January and has impressed with his ability on the field. He’s already got good size for a defensive end at 6-foot-5, 252 pounds and will be able to add plenty of strength to get even bigger to play the position. Ford may not see the field this fall, but he has a chance to be the next in a line of great pass rushers to play for the Nittany Lions.
Wide receiver Amarion Jackson
Jackson was the buzz of spring ball with how he’d been playing. Several staff members commended him for what he was doing on the field, including head coach Matt Campbell and wide receivers coach Kashif Moore. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver was only a three-star recruit out of high school and was originally committed to Campbell at Iowa State. It’s telling that Campbell pushed to flip him not long after he became Penn State’s head coach. While Jackson isn’t likely to be in the two-deep early this season, he’ll have a shot to burn his redshirt and play in quite a few games this season.
Wide receiver Ben Whitver
Whitver was a late flip by Campbell from James Madison after the Dukes’ head coach, Bob Chesney, left for UCLA. Whitver is a big receiver at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds but moves much quicker than you’d expect for someone that size. His route running is advanced for his age, and he’s shown the speed and short area burst to operate as much more than just a big receiver. He’s likely going to redshirt this fall, but he’s someone worth monitoring next season as Penn State turns the page at one of the weaker positions on the roster in recent years.
Safety Josiah Zayas
Zayas was another flip from Iowa State’s recruiting class and has already shown why Campbell wanted him. He’s a versatile defensive back who also played wide receiver in high school and looks to be starting his college career at safety. And safeties coach Deon Broomfield said during the spring that Zayas stood out because of how quickly he picked up the position. It will be interesting to see what Penn State does with him this year. He’s good enough to be a potential contributor on special teams and defense, but could also use a redshirt to continue adjusting to a new position.
Quarterback Peyton Falzone
Falzone joined the Penn State recruiting class before it hired Campbell after being committed to Auburn, which also underwent a coaching change. And while he has excellent athletic tools, he has not looked the part of a Big Ten-level quarterback during the spring. There is credence to having him move to tight end because of his accuracy issues and impressive athleticism, although that does not seem to be in the cards. That being said, if he’s willing to make the move, he could be a very high level tight end who continues the strong run at the position for Penn State.
