The Latu Effect: Ikaika Malloe, who developed NFL star Laiatu Latu, is now tasked with building a "monster" defensive line in Happy Valley.(Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
Matt Campbell is building out his first transfer portal class as Penn State Football head coach.
While Campbell brought a lot of his offensive staff with him from Ames to Happy Valley, Campbell’s first defensive coaching staff is more of a mixed bag of former Iowa State and Penn State coaches and a few key outside hires, including defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
With the transfer portal officially open, there is one key difference in recruiting strategy for Campbell and his defensive staff that could change the type of player that Penn State goes after in the transfer portal.
The Malloe Factor: Expanding the Penn State Football Footprint West
After officially coming on board at Penn State, new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn brought former UCLA defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe on as his defensive line coach for 2026.
Malloe coached the defensive line during Lynn’s lone season as UCLA’s defensive coordinator and will serve as both the defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator at Penn State next season.
While Malloe has spent a considerable amount of time on the west coast during his coaching career, he will now make the trip across the country to Penn State, potentially expanding Penn State’s recruiting footprint for defensive lineman to the west coast.
The NFL Pedigree: From UCLA to State College
At UCLA, Malloe coached all-America Laiatu Latu, who was selected as the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
What the defensive hires could mean for the type of defensive linemen Penn State recruits:
The combination of Lynn, Malloe, and Campbell could signal a shift in Penn State’s recruiting approach on the defensive line.
At Iowa State, Matt Campbell and former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock ran a 3-3-5 defense, with only three defensive linemen. While Penn State will shift to a 4-3 multiple defense under D’Anton Lynn, the recruiting strategy that Campbell used of finding bigger bodied defenders to plug up the middle of the defensive line.
Scrapping the “James Franklin Model”: Why 300 Pounds is New Standard
This is quite different than the type of defensive linemen Penn State recruited under James Franklin.
Under Franklin, Penn State recruited athletic defensive tackles that hovered in the 280 to 300-pound range. In 2025, Penn State had only two defensive tackles on the roster that weighed over 300 pounds, true freshman Randy Adirika and redshirt junior Kaleb Artis, neither of which recorded a stat for Penn State this season.
Under Campbell, Penn State’s defensive line will likely get quite a bit bigger in the next few years.
With the transfer portal officially opening Friday, the defensive line looks to be one of the top priorities for the Nittany Lions ahead of 2026.
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Portal Watch: 3 Massive DTs Set for Happy Valley Visits
In the first official day of the transfer portal window, Penn State has also been linked to a few intriguing defensive line targets.
Early in the transfer portal window, Penn State has been linked to a few defensive tackles in the portal.
Arkansas State’s Cody Sigler and Tulsa’s Joe Hjelle are reportedly set to visit Penn State in the near future. Xion Chapman will visit Penn State January 6th and 7th.
Cody Sigler and Joe Hjelle: The Battle with Oklahoma and FSU
Junior Cody Sigler posted 35 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, five sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for Arkansas State in 2025. The 6-foot-3-inch, 297-pound defensive tackle has plenty of suitors, including Oklahoma and Florida State.
Former Tulsa defensive tackle Joe Hjelle is also linked to Penn State after posting 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks in 2025.
Hjelle is a 6-foot-3-inch, 300 pound defensive tackle.
Xion Chapman: The Lackawanna Legacy Continues
FIU defensive tackle Xion Chapman will visit Penn State this weekend after being offered by Penn State out of the transfer portal this weekend after being offered by Penn State this week.
Chapman is a 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound defender who played in 12 games for FIU this season, recording 15 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and two sacks. Chapman also played at Lackawanna College, a school where Penn State has had success with players in the past, including Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown.
While Sigler, Hjelle, and Chapman would be among the largest defensive tackles on Penn State’s roster, as more names emerge in the transfer portal for Penn State, expect Matt Campbell to target a few more bigger bodies (320+ pounds) for Penn State ahead of the 2026 season.
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