Koby Howard Leading WR Unit Beyond the Stat Sheet
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Koby Howard has been on a tear to begin this 2026 campaign. The sophomore wideout leads Penn State with 12 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns.
His receiving totals through three games nearly match Penn State’s leading receiver for all of last season, Trebor Pena. Pena finished with 49 catches for 552 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.
Explosive plays have been Howard’s mantra. He’s averaging nearly 30 yards per reception, and seven of his 12 catches have gone for 20 yards or more.
Saturday was another big performance for Howard, catching only three passes but racking up 115 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo. He even scored a 20-yard rushing touchdown.
Howard has been dominant and leads the receiving room by a large margin, statistically. But his impact is reaching beyond the stat sheet.
Behind the Scenes of Koby Howard’s Success
Howard’s alarm rings at 4:45 every morning. He arrives at the Lasch building at 5:30, well before most of the coaching staff. He meets with true freshman receiver Amarion Jackson to work on the jugs machine, then does a short workout, all before breakfast. This has been Howard’s morning routine since the Spring. First one in, last one out.
This wasn’t always Howard’s routine, though. He says the 2025 season sparked the decision to change his training regimen.
“It came to me, just not wanting to feel like how I did last year,” he said after the 55-13 win over Buffalo. “Even though I was working, I knew I had to work harder, so I didn’t go through what I went through last year.
As a true freshman, Howard arrived on campus as a four-star, top 70 wide receiver prospect that could’ve been ranked higher if it wasn’t for a broken leg. When Penn State’s season began to tank, so did the offense’s production without quarterback Drew Allar.
The four veteran receivers: Pena, Devonte Ross, Kyron Hudson and Liam Clifford all struggled, and many thought that youngsters like Howard would see the field more. That time didn’t come until after James Franklin was fired as head coach. And when that time did arrive, Howard only saw nine targets in seven games.
So, when he decided to stay in Happy Valley and play under new head coach Matt Campbell, who brought four of his own wideouts from Iowa State, Howard knew he had to up his game.
“I try to mimic everything that I’d do in a game,” Howard said. “When running routes against air, if I catch a 5-yard hitch, I’ll run all the way to the end zone, just mimicking things like that.
I feel like I can’t go out there and play hard if I’m not working hard,” he continued. “That’s just something that I live by.”
Koby Howard’s Influence Spreads
The months of early mornings and working overtime have paid off through the first three games of Howard’s sophomore season.
Howard is the first Penn State wide receiver to have two or more games with over 100 receiving yards since Parker Washington and Jahan Dotson in 2021. Howard is also third in the nation, first in the Big Ten, in yards per reception at 28.7.
Koby Howard now has 100+ receiving yards in two games this season.
The last Penn State WR to have more than one game with 100+ receiving yards in a season was Parker Washington in 2021.
— Mitch Corcoran (@MitchCorc18) September 19, 2026
“None of it surprises me because of how I watch him work,” Campbell said. “I still tell you, even today, he’ll be the first guy tomorrow morning in the facility and probably beat three-fourths of the coaching staff.”
Howard’s output has matched his work ethic. His teammates have noticed, too. And they want Howard’s recipe for success.
“There’s some guys that saw his success, and they’re joining in now in the mornings,” Campbell said. “I think that’s what great players do. Great players bring others with them, and that’s why Koby got a lot of credit.”
“It inspires all of us, because we’re all in there early, all in there late at night,” said Iowa State transfer Zay Robinson. “Just having a group that wants to be great like that, it inspires all of us.”
Howard has set the standard for Penn State’s receivers room, and his teammates have followed his lead. The Nittany Lions’ receiving core has been less than impressive over the last half-decade, but Howard is showing that he could be the next true difference-maker.
“He’scontinuingtogrowineverything,” said quarterback Rocco Becht. “He’sagood,usefulleaderinthatwidereceiverroom,but he’scontinuingtogrowasaleaderforthiswholeteam.”
Main Image: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
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