Why did Iowa State players follow Matt Campbell to Penn State? ‘He grows young men into men.’
Twenty-four Iowa State players transferred to Penn State, which marked the largest amount of players from the same school to follow their head coach in the 2026 transfer window.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It’s common for college football players to follow their head coach to a new gig. But it’s not always a given.
When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to become LSU’s head coach in 2022, only one player followed him to Death Valley. It was a silent showcase of support.
So when Matt Campbell left Iowa State in December to become Penn State’s coach, his players didn’t have to follow him. But they did, and they did so in droves.
“It just speaks to the type of guy Coach Campbell is,” said junior safety Marcus Neal Jr., an Iowa State transfer. “It shows that players really want to play for him. He’s a really good guy. I look at him as another father figure. I can go to him for anything, ask him for anything.”
Twenty-four Iowa State players transferred to Penn State, which marked the largest contingent of players in the 2026 transfer window to follow their head coach to a new school. The next closest team had 18 players follow former North Texas coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State.
Why did so many Cyclones follow Campbell to Happy Valley? The answer is simple: He is who he says he is.
“Campbell is a great people person. He was the main reason I went to Iowa State,” said redshirt junior offensive lineman Trevor Buhr. “He’s genuine. When he says something, he does it. He is one of the best leaders I’ve ever met. He’s honest, and he’s true to himself. There’s no what-ifs. You’re getting what you’re getting from him, and it’s been consistent [since] the first time I talked to him.”
Campbell led the Cyclones to a 72-55 record during his 10-year run as coach. But it was his off-the-field leadership — what he does beyond football — that drove dozens of players and staff members to Penn State.
The 46-year-old coach has an open-door policy. Players can come and go from his office as they please. Those who played for him at Iowa State said his genuine personality and accountable leadership style made them comfortable to go to him, football-related or not.
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That open-door policy extended to his house in Ames, Iowa, where his players would run pickup basketball games or eat a meal with other teammates.
And believe it or not, Campbell can hoop, too.
“Coach Campbell is a big relationships guy,” said senior defensive back Jamison Patton. “It’s an open-door policy. All the guys go over [to his house], and we know we’re going to hoop, hang out, get some food, just be around each other. The more we’re around each other, the more our relationship grows as a team, and especially with the coaches.”
Added Neal: “[Campbell] got a nice little shot on him. He gets picked up. You ain’t going to pick somebody up if they’re not good.”
Before Campbell officially accepted the Penn State job, he met with his Iowa State players to inform them of his decision and offered a heartfelt explanation on why he decided to leave. It was a moment of raw emotion that was difficult for Campbell, but he wanted to say goodbye in person.
Several players said that final meeting replicated the type of person Campbell is. And it’s why a large portion of his players knew instantly they would follow their coach to Happy Valley.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to go somewhere else,” said redshirt senior defensive back Jeremiah Cooper, who played four seasons under Campbell at Iowa State. “Once I hit the portal, I knew I was coming to Penn State. Coach Campbell changed my life, not just as a player, but as a man. He grows young men into men, and that’s all I can ask for as a coach and as a leader.”