Reunited: Marcus Neal Jr. follows Matt Campbell to State College to anchor the Nittany Lions' secondary in 2026. (Syndication: The Ames Tribune)
Penn State Football head coach Matt Campbell and staff have been putting in plenty of work in the transfer portal to assemble Penn State’s 2026 roster.
As of Monday morning, Penn State has lost 44 players to the transfer portal from the Nittany Lions‘ 2025 roster.
Although Campbell retained many key pieces to return for the 2026 season, there were still plenty of spots to fill both in the starting lineup and for depth in the roster for 2026 and beyond.
Through Monday morning, Campbell has received the commitment from 29 total players in the transfer portal, with a variety of plug-and-play starters and younger depth pieces that may not contribute for a few seasons.
Here is a ranking of the top five instant-impact transfer portal players on the defensive side of the football for Penn State so far this offseason:
Rebuilding the “Wall”: The Ikaika Malloe Influence
5. Siale Taupaki (DT): The 325-Pound Anchor
Defensive tackle was one of the positions that Penn State needed to prioritize in the transfer portal window.
Campbell and Penn State’s new defensive staff have done just that, securing the commitment from five defensive tackles through the transfer portal in the first week of the transfer portal window.
UCLA defender Siale Taupake follows Ikaika Malloe to Happy Valley for his final season of eligibility.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 325-pound defender had spent the first six seasons of his college career at UCLA, playing in 40 games in his career.
Taupaki has recorded 38 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery and has played every game for the Bruins over the past two seasons.
4. Keanu Williams (DT): Space-Eating Size
Another former UCLA Bruin that is following Malloe to State College is Keanu Williams.
Matt Campbell has been trying to beef up Penn State’s defensive line through the transfer portal, and Williams and Taupaki go a long way to doing just that.
Williams is another super senior that played in 37 career games in his five seasons at UCLA and Oregon. Williams played in 12 games this season at UCLA, recording 39 tackles.
At 6-foot-5-inches, 320 pounds, Williams will eat up space in the middle of Penn State’s defensive line next season.
The “Ames Connection”: Replacing Penn State’s Lost Stars
3. Caleb Bacon (LB): The Cerebral Playmaker
One of the rare retention losses for Matt Campbell this offseason was linebacker Amare Campbell.
While Campbell was not able to come to an agreement with the Nittany Lions’ leading tackler from 2025 Amare Campbell on a deal for next season, Campbell did bring in his top linebackers from Iowa State, including Caleb Bacon.
Bacon played in 36 career games for the Cyclones over the past four seasons, recording 131 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.
With Tony Rojas returning, Caleb Bacon will be a nice plug-and-play starter next to Rojas for the Nittany Lions at linebacker next season.
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2. Jeremiah Cooper (DB): The Veteran Ball-Hawk
Former Iowa State defensive back Jeremiah Cooper missed eight games last season for the Cyclones with an injury, after playing in all 14 games in 2024.
Over four seasons at Iowa State, Cooper has played in 38 games and recorded 134 tackles, eight interceptions, 4.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, and a touchdown.
While he missed time with injury in 2025, Cooper was named a first-team all-Big 12 player in 2023 and started 14 games at safety in 2024.
Cooper had converted to cornerback in 2025 before his injury, but he is expected to primarily return to safety at Penn State, especially with the Nittany Lions losing King Mack and Dejuan Lane to the transfer portal.
Penn State’s Blue-Chip Breakout: Why Marcus Neal Jr. is #1
Marcus Neal Jr. is the youngest, but also arguably the player on this list with the highest upside.
Neal Jr. broke out for the Cyclones in 2025 after injuries forced him into a bigger role this season. Neal played in all 25 games over his two seasons in Ames, recording 95 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
Neal Jr. will be a plug and play starter at safety for the Nittany Lions in 2026 and could push to lead the Nittany Lions in tackles this season.
Ranking Penn State’s Instant-Impact Transfers: Why Rocco Becht and James Peoples are Keys to 2026
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- Ranking Penn State’s Defensive Portal Haul: Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper Set to Anchor 2026 Secondary - January 12, 2026
- Ranking Penn State’s Instant-Impact Transfers: Why Rocco Becht and James Peoples are Keys to 2026 - January 9, 2026
- ‘Something About Him Changed’: Rocco Becht Explains Why “New” Matt Campbell is Built for a Natty at Penn State - January 7, 2026
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