Rising wide receiver Koby Howard could be a breakout star in the making for Penn State Football in 2026. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)
NittanyCentral will have a special weekly series identifying and assessing five young players on the Penn State Football roster who may see an expanded role and become contributors this season. Each week, we will go over one player who you may want to keep your eye on in 2026.
Koby Howard was a big-time on-the-rise wide receiver recruit down in Florida, with offers coming in from all over the country.
As a freshman in high school, Howard caught 70 passes for eight touchdowns, and he was on his way to becoming one of the best wide receiver recruits in his class.
From 4-Star Florida Recruit to Penn State Football: Koby Howard’s Path of Resilience
During his offseason while at Miami, at their Legends camp, Howard went up for a ball, and when he came down, he felt a pop.
Unfortunately, the 4-star wide receiver broke his leg, and the aftermath of how his recruitment went on from there resulted in Howard falling in love with Penn State, and choosing to become a Nittany Lion.
When other programs fell off and didn’t keep up communication as much during his rehab, Penn State stayed vigilant and made sure he knew how important he was to the program.
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The 2025 Turning Point: How Interim Coach Terry Smith Unlocked Howard’s Potential
Last year, Penn State’s 2025 season had its highs and lows.
After three straight losses, a coaching change took place, and with that a new philosophy.
Instead of underachieving veterans playing the majority of the snaps, interim head coach Terry Smith put whoever was the hungriest onto the field.
Before Smith’s first game as head coach, he called Howard into his office asked if he was ready.
His response; “You know I’m ready coach.”
Howard finally got his chance to see consistent reps, and it paid off right away with the true freshman hauling in the longest reception in his first four games, including a 26-yard grab against Ohio State, and a 31-yard reception at home against Nebraska.
One thing was clear, when given the opportunity, Howard can deliver.
During the Landon Tengwall Show, Koby Howard was asked about his first season.
“The one word I’d say for myself about last season was preparation,” Howard said.
Preparing for 2026: Head Coach Matt Campbell’s High Expectations
That preparation has already paid off with Howard having a great spring camp, catching the eye of the Head Coach Matt Campbell.
“We were really grateful to have him back and certainly a young guy that we’ve got great expectations for moving forward,” Campbell told reporters during an April presser.
Last season, Howard played 84 snaps lining up 7 times in the slot, but the expectation is that he will be much more versatile in 2026.
The projected depth chart has him firmly in the mix as a starter or, at the very least, next guy up in bigger personnel packages.
Penn State Football and Howard have shown great faith in each other, which could lead to a breakout season this fall, as the payoff.
3 Elite Targets Who Could Make or Break Penn State Football’s Next Recruiting Class This Weekend
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He started a successful Penn State Football account on X a little over a year and a half ago.
Tapped into recruiting both regionally and nationally, Ed graduated Rowan University with a Journalism degree.
- Inside Penn State Football Recruiting’s Early 2028 Quarterback Target Board - June 4, 2026
- From Broken Leg to Penn State Starter: The Resilience Driving Koby Howard’s 2026 Expectations - June 3, 2026
- 3 Elite Targets Who Could Make or Break Penn State Football’s Next Recruiting Class This Weekend - June 2, 2026
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