Penn State Football: 2026 Nittany Lions Season Preview and Prediction
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Penn State was fortunate coach Matt Campbell was available in December. His first season will lean heavily in an Iowa State direction, with 24 of the team’s 40 transfers coming from Ames. Quarterback Rocco Becht is a gamer and has the tools to score points. New coordinator D’Anton Lynn is reworking a defense that was a huge disappointment last season but has cleaned up the majority of its issues. Campbell is rebuilding Penn State for long-term viability. A College Football Playoff bid, while possible, would be overachieving this year.
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Penn State Football: 2026 Nittany Lions Season Preview and Prediction
Previewing Penn State’s Offense for 2026
New head coach Matt Campbell speaks fondly of his decade at Iowa State, so it’s no surprise that six former Cyclones could start for the Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Rocco Becht. A three-year Iowa State starter, Becht is the most experienced FBS quarterback in college football, with 39 career starts, 26 wins and more than 2,500 snaps. He was limited during spring drills while rehabbing from offseason surgery to his non-throwing shoulder but threw in Beaver Stadium with a VR headset.
Becht brought his four favorite targets with him, notably 6-foot-7 tight end Benjamin Brahmer, who will continue the program’s recent string of draft picks at the position. Carson Hansen, who rushed for 952 yards for the Cyclones last season, will share running back duties with Ohio State transfer James Peoples.
With four new starters, the offensive line needs a crash course in preseason camp. Still, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser is comfortable throwing a lot of NFL concepts at the group.
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Previewing Penn State’s Defense for 2026
Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, an All-Big Ten cornerback at Penn State, returned to his alma mater after three seasons in Los Angeles (two at USC, one at UCLA). He signed four transfer tackles who weigh at least 319 pounds. The headliner is Siale Taupaki, who played for Lynn at UCLA and is entering his eighth season of college football.
By adding interior size, Lynn seeks to funnel plays to the linebackers. Campbell recruited three from Iowa State, notably Caleb Bacon and Kooper Ebel, who combined for 17.5 tackles for a loss last season. They’ll work alongside Tony Rojas, Penn State’s top returning defensive player, whose torn ACL before the UCLA game was a turning point.
In the secondary, Campbell has been particularly impressed with Zion Tracy, a Swiss Army knife who can play multiple spots. Former Iowa State safety Marcus Neal Jr. (11 TFLs in 2025) will captain the secondary.
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Previewing Penn State’s Specialists for 2026
Campbell was able to retain kicker Ryan Barker, who led the FBS in field-goal percentage (94.7) last season and didn’t miss from inside 50 yards. Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig is back as well after a successful first season with the program.
National Ranking: 18
Big Ten Prediction: 7
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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