Five things to know about Penn State: New faces, key players, favorable matchups, and more

The Matt Campbell era will officially begin against Marshall at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Beaver Stadium.

It’s hard to say what Penn State could achieve this year, with plenty of new players and coaches expected to blend with the guys who stuck around.

But after spring and fall camp, there’s more of a clear picture of how this team will take shape. With that being said, here are five things to know about the Nittany Lions ahead of their 2026 campaign.

» READ MORE: Matt Campbell’s path to Penn State began with small-town roots and led him through a decade in the Big 12

While fifth-year senior Rocco Becht isn’t one of the big names in college football this season, he’s one of the most productive returning quarterbacks.

The Iowa State transfer won 26 games as the starting quarterback for the Cyclones over the past three seasons, the most of any returning starter in the country. Becht has thrown for 9,274 yards across his career with 64 touchdowns and a 60.7% completion rate.

Last year was Becht’s least productive season as a starter at Iowa State — he finished with 2,584 passing yards, compared to his 3,505 passing yards in 2024. In October 2025, he suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, then in November, he tore the labrum in his left shoulder that required offseason surgery.

Now, Becht is fully healthy after being limited in the spring and ready to bounce back from his less-than-ideal campaign last year.

» READ MORE: How an unbreakable bond led a ‘true leader’ in quarterback Rocco Becht to Penn State

“I think Rocco’s in a completely different space than I’ve seen him really in his career,” Campbell said on Aug. 20. “What Rocco brings to the table is a guy that’s already gone through the highs of college football, the lows of college football. He’s been in the same system now, going into his fifth year, and he’s played at an elite clip every day.”

Campbell brought 24 players with him from Iowa State, and that doesn’t even include those from his 2026 recruiting class who wound up signing with him at Penn State.

Eleven of those transfers are projected starters, with six on offense and five on defense. Becht is the most notable, but junior safety Marcus Neal Jr., senior running back Carson Hansen, senior tight end Benjamin Brahmer, redshirt senior safety Jeremiah Cooper, and wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen are also set for big roles.

Most of Penn State’s offensive coaching staff came from Iowa State as well, including offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Taylor Mouser, offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters.

However, with the large contingent of former Iowa State players, the biggest question mark is whether they can adapt to playing in the Big Ten.

FanDuel has Penn State’s win total set at 9.5, as does nearly every other sportsbook. Its odds to win the national championship are plus-7000, while its odds to win the Big Ten are plus-1800.

So why do the Nittany Lions have a high win total if their odds to achieve anything of magnitude are so low?

Their schedule is incredibly favorable. Penn State avoids preseason AP Poll No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, and No. 6 Indiana, with its three hardest matchups coming against No. 14 Southern California, No. 16 Michigan, and No. 17 Washington.

» READ MORE: Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in preseason Top 25 football poll; Penn State 18th

The Nittany Lions also play three of the four teams with the lowest projected win totals in Maryland (5.5), Northwestern (5.5), and Purdue (3.5), according to FanDuel. Wisconsin and Minnesota are the other two Big Ten games they’ll play, with both holding projected win totals of 6.5.

Penn State can easily go 10-2 in Campbell’s first season and would just need to win one of its three tough matchups. If that’s the case, 10 wins could be good enough to make the College Football Playoff as a Big Ten team.

Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen led Penn State’s backfield for the last four seasons, so a big change is coming in 2026 as both moved on to the NFL.

Hansen, Ohio State transfer James Peoples, returning redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr., and returning redshirt junior Cam Wallace will fill the room.

All four could see meaningful minutes this year, but Hansen will likely lead the way, as running backs coach Savon Huggins said he would turn to the senior in a fourth-and-1 situation.

Peoples, Martin, and Wallace have vastly improved this offseason, according to Huggins, but still need to be more consistent if they want to challenge Hansen for the top spot on the depth chart.

“[They] all have had success and some of them haven’t,” Huggins said. “I told them all, ‘Listen, I don’t decide [your impact], you guys do,’ and that’s the cool thing about the competition. I want to see what these other guys do, and they’ve all done a great job when they actually do that. Some of them haven’t come through, but I think it’s all learning experiences.”

When Penn State began spring practice, that time was spent building chemistry, learning new playbooks, and forming a team identity.

Fast-forward to fall camp, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said players are speaking more confidently in meetings about his scheme, and Campbell said they learn more about this team “every single day.”

» READ MORE: Penn State hosts first ‘Victory Day’ under Matt Campbell: ‘It’s the best day of the year’

“We’re growing. Every single day is different,” Becht said. “For all of us, we’re just continuing to be on the same page, continuing to help make that relationship on and off the field, and continuing to grow day in and day out.”