Penn State notes: Koby Howard out extended period of time; assistant coach faces DUI charges
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Sophomore Koby Howard, Penn State’s leading receiver, will be out for an extended period of time, Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell said Wednesday.
Campbell said the medical staff does not expect Howard’s unspecified injury, suffered last Saturday against Buffalo, to keep him out for the season.
“Koby probably will be out for an extended period of time,” he said. “It’s not season-ending, but it will be an extended period of time. Obviously disappointing for Koby, but he’s handled it really well.
“The disappointing thing is how hard he’s worked. The reality is that he’ll work just as hard to get back better than ever.”
Howard has 12 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns for 13th-ranked Penn State (3-0), which meets Wisconsin (2-1) in a Big Ten opener Saturday at 5 p.m. (TV-Peacock) at Beaver Stadium.
He’s third in the country with 28.7 yards per catch and seventh in the country in receiving yards per game. Ten of his 17 career catches have gone for at least 20 yards.
Howard accounted for 135 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a 55-13 blowout win over Buffalo. He scored on a 20-yard run and on a 70-yard catch, the play during which he was injured, Campbell said.
Howard became Penn State’s first non-running back to have a receiving and a rushing touchdown in the same game since tight end Tyler Warren did it against Purdue in 2024. The last wide receiver to do it was KJ Hamler against Pittsburgh in 2018.
Redshirt freshman Zay Robinson likely will take Howard’s spot if he can’t play against Wisconsin. Robinson also has been a deep threat with five catches for 80 yards and one TD. Freshman Amarion Jackson is expected to see increased time as the fourth wide receiver behind Chase Sowell, Brett Esklidsen and Robinson.
“The rest of that room has to continue to step up and make plays,” Campbell said. “They’ve done that when they’ve had the opportunities.”
In addition, reserve offensive lineman Will Tompkins will be out for the season after suffering an injury that Campbell described as “unique” during pregame warmups before the win over Buffalo.
The 6-5, 311-pound Tompkins, a second-year freshman who’s from Cedar Falls, Iowa, spent last season at Iowa State after being a three-star recruit.
Lucas charged: Penn State assistant coach Jordan Lucas, a former Nittany Lions cornerback, was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence stemming from an August incident in State College.
Lucas, who serves as assistant cornerbacks coach, had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal driving limit after an officer found him behind the wheel of a disabled vehicle on Aug. 16, according to an affidavit filed by State College police.
“We are aware of these charges and take this matter seriously,” a Penn State spokesman said in a statement. “Coach Lucas remains with the program. As this is a legal matter, we cannot comment further.”
An officer observed Lucas in an SUV with two flat tires near the intersection of South Pugh Street and East Beaver Avenue at about 12:45 a.m. Street camera footage showed Lucas had driven the SUV on the 100 block of East Beaver Avenue and swerved into the bus lane multiple times before coming to a stop in a crosswalk, according to the affidavit.
Lucas initially did not respond when an officer spoke to him and had his foot on the accelerator with the vehicle in park, according to the affidavit.
After being unable to perform field sobriety tests, Lucas was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center. The results of a test there showed he had a blood alcohol level of .236.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 21.
Lucas played at Penn State from 2012-15 and in the NFL for six seasons, which included a Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was hired to the Penn State football staff in 2024.
Burkle nominated: Penn State has named senior tight end Gabe Burkle as its nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top scholar-athlete in college football.
Burkle is one of 206 semifinalists across all levels of college football.
The National Football Foundation will announce 12 to 16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The winner will be announced at the 68th annual NFF Awards Dinner Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
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