Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard flashed in the Pinstripe Bowl, what he's capable of with more consistent playing time. (Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
Penn State Football’s 2026 starting lineup will look radically different than what the Nittany Lions trotted out in 2025, after graduations, NFL draft declarations, and the transfer portal reshaped the Nittany Lions roster over the past month.
In fact, after an influx of players following head coach Matt Campbell from Ames to Happy Valley, Penn State’s 2026 lineup will look more like Iowa State’s 2025 starting lineup than Penn State’s.
“Ames East” in Happy Valley: The 2026 Offensive Blueprint
While there are still months until Penn State kicks off the 2026 season, and the Nittany Lions coaching staff will have winter conditioning, spring practices, and fall camp to evaluate all of the mix of new players on Penn State’s roster.
Here is a way-too-early projection of Penn State’s offensive starting lineup for next season …
The Signal Caller: Rocco Becht (QB1)
This position is the easiest to project for the Nittany Lions next season.
Rocco Becht followed Campbell to Happy Valley after starting for coach Campbell for three seasons at Iowa State.
Becht returns in 2026 as the winningest quarterback in college football, returning next season with 26 career wins.
Becht could miss time this offseason as he recovers from a shoulder injury that he played through during the 2025 season and had surgery on this offseason already, but once he is healthy and cleared, he will slot in as Penn State’s unquestioned QB1.
The Backfield: Carson Hansen and a “By Committee” Approach
Carson Hansen is the most experienced running back on Penn State’s roster at the moment.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound back rushed for 952 yards and six touchdowns for Campbell and staff at Iowa State last season.
While I project the position to be closer to a running back by committee than a bell cow approach, I am choosing Hansen to get the starting nod initially because of his experience in Taylor Mouser’s offense.
Look for James Peoples and Quinton Martin Jr. play a large role as well in non-conference play before one or two break out as the staff rides the hot hand in conference play.
New-Look Wide receivers: Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell, Koby Howard
At wide receiver, Penn State Football has a number of intriguing options heading into the offseason.
Campbell and wide receivers coach Noah Pauley brought the Cyclones top two wide receivers with them in the transfer portal in Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell.
Eskildsen led the Cyclones with 526 receiving yards in 2025 on 30 catches, including six touchdowns.
Sowell fought through an injury last season while still catching 32 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns. With an offseason to get healthy, Sowell probably has the highest ceiling in 2026 for the Nittany Lions.
A very intriguing returning name for the Nittany Lions is Koby Howard.
For whatever reason, Howard got almost no playing time until James Franklin was fired. However, after Terry Smith took over as interim head coach, Howard got more involved in the offense, showing potential in averaging 19 yards per reception, albeit on only seven receptions last season.
With an offseason to develop under Pauley, Howard has plenty of potential to build upon heading into 2026.
The “Mouser” Multiple: Two-TE Dominance
Benjamin Brahmer & Andrew Rappleyea: The Twin Towers
Traditionally, teams do not start two tight ends.
However, as an offensive coordinator, Taylor Mouser has gotten two or even three tight ends involved in the offense at a time.
Benjamin Brahmer was one of Rocco Becht’s favorite target in 2025 and one of the top tight ends in the transfer portal this offseason. Brahmer caught 37 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns in 2025 in his third season in Ames.
Brahmer has one season of eligibility remaining and will likely be a top target for Rocco Becht again in 2026.
Opposite Brahmer, Andrew Rappleyea was a massive retention win for Matt Campbell this offseason.
Rappleyea spent the beginning of the 2025 season shaking off rust from an injury that cost him most of the 2024 season.
After getting back up to speed, however, Rappleyea proved to be the most consistent tight end on Penn State’s roster. Rappleyea finished the season with 20 receptions for 180 yards and three touchdowns, with the three touchdowns coming in the final three games of the season.
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Rebuilding the Wall: Replacing 4 Starters
The Five-Star LT: Malachi Goodman
The offensive line is where this projection gets a bit shakier this far out of the 2026 season.
Penn State will be looking to replace four starters from the 2025 lineup along the offensive line. At left tackle, this is a pure projection of what Goodman could become for the Nittany Lions.
The former five-star offensive tackle has great size (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) and athleticism and could be a future star left tackle. However, Goodman is very inexperienced and did not see a snap last season.
Left guard: Trevor Buhr
Iowa State left guard Trevor Buhr was another former Cyclone that chose to follow Matt Campbell to Penn State this offseason.
Buhr played in eight games for the Cyclones and made six starts in 2025, earning an All-Big 12 honorable mention. In 2024, Buhr played in 13 games and started six for the Cyclones.
Buhr has not allowed a sack in 534 snaps at guard.
Center: Brock Riker
Texas State transfer Brock Riker started 12 games for the Bobcats in 2025, earning a second-team freshman all-American nod from the Athletic for his play.
On3 ranked Riker as the number six interior offensive linemen in the transfer portal this offseason, with Penn State beating out Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, and others for his commitment.
While the step up in competition is large, I have slotted Riker in as the starter at center next season.
Right guard: Cooper Cousins
Cooper Cousins was a rotational piece on the interior offensive linemen for the Nittany Lions in 2025.
Cooper was highly regarded coming out of high school as the number 57 overall prospect and the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 class. Heading into his third season on campus, Cousins will have the opportunity to lock down a starting spot for the first time.
Right tackle: Anthony Donkoh
Anthony Donkoh is the only returning starter from Penn State’s 2025 offensive line.
While Donkoh has played both guard and tackle during his time at Penn State, Penn State has more depth at guard than tackle at the moment and Donkoh should slot back at right tackle for 2026.
Donkoh played nine games at guard and two games at right tackle for the Nittany Lions in 2025.
With plenty of time and opportunities for the Nittany Lions coaching staff to see players on the field before the Nittany Lions kick off the 2026 season, this lineup could change drastically before week one.
Still, it’s a fun exercise to project what the Nittany Lions could look like after a very interesting offseason.
Could Matt Campbell Make Radical Changes to Penn State Football’s Uniforms? (Photo)
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- Penn State Football 2026 Way-Too-Early Depth Chart: Rocco Becht Leads an Iowa State-Heavy Offense - January 17, 2026
- Could Matt Campbell Make Radical Changes to Penn State Football’s Uniforms? (Photo) - January 15, 2026
- 3 Critical Gaps Matt Campbell Must Fix to Finalize the 2026 Penn State Football Roster | Transfer Portal Update - January 14, 2026
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