Penn State Football head Coach Campbell vows to use the portal to accelerate the Nittany Lions roster overhaul. Who is his first call?(Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)
The Matt Campbell era is officially here for Penn State Football. Campbell was introduced as the 17th head coach on Monday and is already hitting the ground running, putting together his staff and evaluating the roster for next season.
While Campbell’s focus at Iowa State was on development and high school recruiting, Campbell noted in his introductory press conference that he and his staff will use the transfer portal to fill in the roster.
Heading into 2026, where the Nittany Lions will lose a lot of talent from the class of 2022 and through transfer portal attrition, recruiting out of the transfer portal should have even more of an emphasis for Campbell in year one.
Here are the five most important positions for Campbell to attack in the transfer portal (at least at the moment).
Penn State’s Roster Gaps: 5 Positions Matt Campbell Must Address Via The Portal
Quarterback: A Need for Immediate, Experienced Stability
Penn State Football looked set at the quarterback position heading into 2025, with a three-year starter returning in senior Drew Allar.
However, after an injury ended his season after six games, Penn State’s thin quarterback room reared its ugly head for the remainder of the season.
After Beau Pribula’s transfer last offseason, Penn State entered 2025 with only four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
After Allar’s injury, injuries to Jaxson Smolik and Bekkem Kritza relegated senior wide receiver Liam Clifford to the backup quarterback role for a few games at the end of the season.
Heading into 2026, Allar will be headed to the NFL after exhausting his eligibility, leaving Penn State again with four scholarship quarterbacks before the transfer portal opens.
With James Franklin now gone from the program, it is reasonable to assume at least one of the quarterbacks on Penn State’s roster will hit the portal when it opens on January 2nd, making it imperative that Penn State prioritize getting at least one quarterback out of the transfer portal this offseason.
Luckily for Penn State, head coach Matt Campbell already has a good relationship with Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, who has one season left of eligibility. If Becht enters the transfer portal, expect Campbell and Penn State to be heavily involved.
Running Back: Replacing NFL Talent & Securing The Backfield
Another position where Penn State has members of the class of 2022 leaving after exhausting their eligibility is running back. After record-breaking careers in Happy Valley, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton will be off to the NFL this offseason, leaving Penn State very inexperienced at the position.
Penn State still has plenty of running back talent on the roster, however, with Stan Drayton not expected to return to Happy Valley in 2025 and Ja’Juan Seider already leaving for Notre Dame last offseason, a few of Penn State’s running backs could opt for the transfer portal this offseason.
One thing PSU has going for it at the position heading into 2026 is plenty of playing time.
If Campbell and staff decide that it is best to dip into the portal for a starting running back, there should be plenty of interest with the depth chart wide open.
Defensive Tackle: Finding The Big Body Run Stuffer
This is a position for which Penn State should have dipped into the transfer portal harder last season.
Defensive tackle was a bit of a weakness for Penn State in 2025 with Penn State lacking a true big body run stopper at the position.
Zane Durant and Alonzo Ford will be leaving this offseason for the NFL, once again leaving plenty of playing time up for grabs at the position. While Xavier Gilliam and Ty Blanding could be back in 2026, Penn State could still use a few more bodies to compete for starting reps at the position before spring ball starts.
Safety: Adding Competition and Eyeing Marcus Neal Jr.
Penn State Football has had a great run at the safety position over the past few years.
Jaylen Reed, KJ Winston, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Jaquan Brisker all have been NFL draft picks at the position since 2022, with Zakee Wheatley expected to join them in April’s NFL draft.
Heading into 2026, Penn State will need to replace one starting safety and could use more competition at the position, especially if King Mack or Dejuan Lane opt to enter the transfer portal.
At Iowa State, Campbell oversaw a fantastic 2025 season by safety Marcus Neal. If Neal opts to enter the transfer portal, Campbell and staff would likely pursue heavily.
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Linebacker: The Tony Rojas Variable
Linebacker was another thin position for the Nittany Lions in 2025.
After Tony Rojas’ season ending injury in October, Penn State’s defense struggled to replace his production, eventually opting to give freshman playing time at the position later in the season.
Heading into 2026, Rojas and Amare Campbell’s decisions on whether to stay in Happy Valley or opt for the transfer portal will determine just how heavily Penn State must pursue linebackers in the portal.
Even if both stay for another season at Penn State, Campbell and staff could still use to dip into the portal for more competition at the position.
Offensive Line: Uncertainty at Tackle and Depth Concerns
Penn State returned four starters on the offensive line in 2025. However, heading into 2026, Penn State could be replacing four or five starters on the line. Once again, Penn State has plenty of talent at the position, but so far, most of this depth is unproven, especially at tackle.
It is also unknown how many offensive linemen on Penn State’s current roster will opt to enter the transfer portal this offseason to follow James Franklin to Virginia Tech or play elsewhere.
As of early December, this ranking remains extremely fluid as Matt Campbell and staff work to retain the pieces of the roster that they want heading into 2026.
How that retention goes will go a long way in determining just how far this ranking will shift before the transfer portal opens on January 2nd.
3 Iowa State Players Matt Campbell Could Bring With Him to Penn State
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- Matt Campbell’s Portal Plan: 5 Most Critical Positions Penn State Must Attack—Including a Former Iowa State Star - December 10, 2025
- James Franklin Poaches One of Penn State’s Top Recruiters, Rising Assistant Coach for Virginia Tech Staff - December 9, 2025
- Matt Campbell Does Not Shy Away from “Championship Mindset” in Penn State Introductory Press Conferenc - December 8, 2025
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