No. 18 Penn State vs. Marshall Preview & Prediction

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Penn State vs. Marshall Preview — | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor

It’s been over eight months since Penn State football last played a game. In that time, the Nittany Lions have established almost an entirely new coaching staff, added 15 signees, seven walk-ons and a program-record 40 transfers, watched 74 players leave either via the transfer portal, the NFL or graduation, and even switched apparel partners for the first time in 33 years.

Penn State has gone through more change in eight months than some programs do in decades.

While just about every aspect of the program is different from a year ago, Penn State football is still Penn State football. The black shoes and basic blues will still be worn, over 100,000 fans will pack Beaver Stadium, and the championship expectations are still the same.

The re-cast Nittany Lions begin the Matt Campbell era at Beaver Stadium Saturday to face the Marshall Thundering Herd in the annual Stripe Out game.

No. 18 Penn State vs. Marshall Preview

Game:Marshall Thundering Herd (0-0) @ No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions (0-0)

History: 2-0, Penn State

Last Meeting: 65-0, Penn State (1930)

Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)

Location: West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium | University Park, Pa.

TV: FS1

Radio: 99.5 FM | 103.7 FM | 1450 AM | Sirius XM 178, 231, XM App

Odds: Penn State -24.5 | O/U: 52.5

This will be the third all-time matchup between the Nittany Lions and the Thundering Herd. The previous two meetings occurred in 1929 and 1930, with Penn State winning both by a combined total of 91-7.

New Faces in New Places

Penn State’s 40 transfer additions were the sixth-most among Power 4 schools. Of those signees, 24 followed Campbell from Iowa State.

Many Iowa State transfers are expected to involved in the starting rotation, such as: Rocco Becht (QB), Alex Manske (QB), Carson Hansen (RB), Chase Sowell (WR), Brett Eskildsen (WR), Zay Robinson (WR), Ben Brahmer (TE), Gabe Burkle (TE), Trevor Buhr (OL), Alijah Carnell (DT), Ikenna Ezeogu (DE), Caleb Bacon (DE), Kooper Ebel (LB), Cael Brezina (LB), Jeremiah Cooper (S), Jamison Patton (S) adn Marcus Neal Jr. (S).

Many key pieces from the Cyclones’ top 60 offense a year ago are now at Penn State. Becht, who will make his 40th career start on Saturday, passed for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season; Hansen rushed nearly 1,000 yards and six touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry; and Eskildsen, Sowell, Brahmer and Burkle were the top four receivers, combining for 1,774 receiving yards and 14 scores.

Becht, Hansen, Sowell, Brahmer and Burkle are all on preseason award watch lists.

Defensively, Neal, Ebel, Bacon, Patton and Brezina made up five of Iowa State’s seven leading tacklers in 2025. Neal was the leading tackler with 77 takedowns, Ebel recorded the most assisted tackles with 39, Bacon was the team leader in sacks with three, and Neal and Patton each led the defense with two interceptions.

Ebel was named to the Butkus Award watch list entering the season.

Other impact transfers include: James Peoples (RB — Ohio State), Keith Jones Jr. (WR — Grambling), Brock Riker (OL — Texas State), Siale Taupaki (DT — UCLA), Keanu Williams (DT — UCLA), Ibn McDaniels (CB — Syracuse) and Nathan Tiyce (P — Miss. State).

Peoples spent the last two seasons at Big Ten foe Ohio State, where he had 541 yards and five touchdowns at a 4.9 yards per carry clip. Jones comes to Penn State after recording 31 catches for 438 yards and four touchdowns at Grambling. Ricker didn’t allow a sack in 438 pass-blocking snaps at Texas State last season.

Taupaki and Williams totaled 54 tackles and one sack for the Bruins in 2025. McDaniels had four tackles in his last two seasons with the Orange. Taupaki and Riker each earned preseason award watch list honors.

The handful of freshmen who could make an impact are: Amarion Jackson (WR), Jackson Ford (DE), Christian Askew (CB), Josiah Zayas (CB) and Lucas Tenbrock (P).

Jackson finished high school with 188 catches for 3,321 yards and 40 touchdowns; Ford had 30 solo tackles, four sacks and six tackles in his senior year at in-state Malvern Prep; Askew recorded 48 tackles, two interceptions and 15 pass breakups as a junior; and Zayas tallied 67 tackles, five for a loss and nine picks while at St. Thomas Aquinas in New Jersey.

On the sidelines, Penn State will have a different coaching staff navigating the game. Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig, associate head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smitha and assistant linebackers coach Dan Connor are the only returning coaches from last season.

Besides Campbell, the new coaches are: defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn (USC), offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser (Iowa State), safeties coach and pass game coordinator Deon Broomfield (Iowa State), offensive line coach Ryan Clanton (Iowa State), running backs coach Savon Huggins (Boston College), defensive line coach and run game coordinator Ikaika Malloe (UCLA), wide receivers coach Kashif Moore (UConn), edge rushers coach Christian Smith (Northwestern), linebackers coach Tyson Veidt (Cincinnati), quarterbacks coach Jake Waters (Iowa State) and director of strength and conditioning Reid Kagy (Iowa State).

Returning Stars

While it may feel like Penn State will be just Iowa State 2.0, the Nittany Lions are returning a decent amount of talent, like: Quinton Martin Jr. (RB), Cam Wallace (RB), Koby Howard (WR), Andrew Rappleyea (TE), Malachi Goodman (OL), (Cooper Cousins (OL), Anthony Donkoh (OL), Yvan Kemajou (DE), Max Granville (DE), Tony Rojas (LB), Alex Tatsch (LB), Audavion Collins (CB), Daryus Dixson (CB), Zion Tracy (CB), Vaboue Toure (S) and Ryan Barker (K).

Martin and Wallace were both overshadowed by Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton last season. However, Martin did rush for 103 yards against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Howard and Rappleyea have also been buried on the depth chart, but have breakout potential. Howard had seven catches for 133 yards as a true freshman, and Rappleyea had 20 grabs for 180 yards and three scores last year following a season-ending injury in 2024.

Malachi Goodman is a former five-star recruit, per 247Sports. He will get his first starting experience this season. Kemajou tallied 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a true freshman in 2025. Granville did not play due to a season-ending injury.

Rojas is entering his third season as a starter, but is also coming off a season-ending injury. He posted 25 tackles and two sacks in four games last season. Tatsch appeared in six games as a true freshman and made 14 tackles.

Collins, Tracy and Dixson each return with starting experience from a season ago. Dixson led the defense with six pass breakups, and Collins was right behind the true freshman with three breakups.

Scouting Marshall

Marshall finished 5-7 last season after a 10-3 record in 2024 that saw the Thundering Herd make the Sun Belt championship.

Marshall’s previous success came under former Penn State staffer and current Memphis head coach Charles Huff. Marshall head coach Tony Gibson is entering his second season with the team.

It wasn’t all bad for Marshall in 2025. The Thundering Herd boasted a top 40 scoring offense, led by senior quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. The 2026 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year passed for 2,043 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 661 yards and six touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, Marshall’s defense struggled in 2025, allowing 30.3 points and over 410 yards per game. A big change was made in the offseason when Brad Lambert replaced Shannon Morrison as defensive coordinator. This is Lambert’s third stint with the Thundering Herd.

While Marshall’s offense will likely remain productive with Del Rio-Wilson at the helm, the defense remains a big question for the Thundering Herd.

Prediction

Penn State 38, Marshall 17