Updated Friday, September 4, 2026, ahead of the Marshall opener. Penn State does not publish an official depth chart, so this is the projected three deep based on training camp reporting. It is updated after every game.
Matt Campbell’s first Penn State roster is half Iowa State and half what James Franklin left behind: 50 new players, nearly half of them following Campbell from Ames. Rocco Becht is the quarterback, Ben Brahmer the tight end, Marcus Neal Jr. and Jeremiah Cooper the safeties, and D’Anton Lynn’s 4-2-5 defense is the new base. The lone soft spot is depth on the offensive line.
Offense
Transfers marked with an asterisk.
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Rocco Becht*, Sr. | Alex Manske*, Fr. | Connor Barry*, Sr. |
| RB | Carson Hansen*, Sr. | James Peoples*, Jr. | Quinton Martin Jr., So. |
| WR | Chase Sowell*, Sr. | Zay Robinson*, Fr. | Keith Jones Jr.*, So. |
| WR | Brett Eskildsen*, Jr. | Karon Brookins*, Fr. | Peter Gonzalez, So. |
| WR | Koby Howard, So. | Amarion Jackson, Fr. | — |
| TE | Ben Brahmer*, Sr. | Andrew Rappleyea, So. | Gabe Burkle*, Sr.; Finn Furmanek |
| LT | Malachi Goodman, Fr. | Owen Aliciene, Fr. | Garrett Sexton, So. |
| LG | Trevor Buhr*, Jr. | Will Tompkins, Fr. | Vaea Ikakoula*, Fr. (injured) |
| C | Brock Riker*, So. | Dominic Rulli, Sr. | — |
| RG | Cooper Cousins, Jr. | Will Tompkins, Fr. | — |
| RT | Anthony Donkoh, Jr. | Garrett Sexton, So. | — |
Defense
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Yvan Kemajou, So. | Caleb Bacon*, Sr. | Jackson Ford, Fr. |
| DT | Siale Taupaki*, Sr. | Armstrong Nnodim*, So. | Alijah Carnell*, So. |
| DT | Keanu Williams*, Sr. | Ty Blanding, Jr. | Dallas Vakalahi*, Jr. |
| DE | Ikenna Ezeogu*, Sr. | Max Granville, So. | Alexander McPherson*, So. |
| LB | Tony Rojas, Jr. | Cam Smith, Fr. | Alex Tatsch, So. |
| LB | Kooper Ebel*, Sr. | Cael Brezina*, Jr. | — |
| CB | Audavion Collins, Sr. | Ibn McDaniels, So. | — |
| CB | Daryus Dixson, So. | Jahmir Joseph, Fr. | — |
| Nickel | Zion Tracy, Sr. | Josiah Zayas*, Fr. | — |
| S | Marcus Neal Jr.*, Jr. | Jamison Patton*, Sr. | — |
| S | Jeremiah Cooper*, Sr. (availability uncertain) | Vaboue Toure, So. | — |
Special Teams
| K | Ryan Barker, Jr.; Cristiano Rosa, Matthew Parker |
| P | Nathan Tiyce*, So.; Matthew Parker |
| KR | Koby Howard OR James Peoples |
| PR | Koby Howard; Zion Tracy |
Position Breakdown
Quarterback. Becht, the winningest quarterback in Iowa State history, had a veteran camp and looks fitter and sharper than last season. Alex Manske, whom Campbell calls the program’s future starter, will play during the nonconference schedule.
Running back. Carson Hansen and James Peoples, both Iowa State transfers, are the rotation with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the NFL. Quinton Martin Jr. has the highest ceiling but is third for now.
Receiver. Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen came with Campbell; Koby Howard is the holdover and the primary returner. Eskildsen is coming back from a minor camp injury. Freshmen Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins are next up.
Tight end. Ben Brahmer is the headliner. With Gabe Burkle still working back from a 2025 injury, former walk-on Finn Furmanek made enough strides in camp to earn snaps behind Andrew Rappleyea.
Offensive line. The starting five is set: freshman Malachi Goodman at left tackle, Trevor Buhr and Cooper Cousins at guard, Brock Riker at center, Anthony Donkoh at right tackle. The problem is behind them. Campbell has praised tackles Owen Aliciene and Garrett Sexton, but interior depth is thin and Iowa State transfer Vaea Ikakoula has been hurt.
Defensive line. Siale Taupaki (UCLA) and Keanu Williams (Oregon) bring 11 combined seasons of experience to the interior. Ikenna Ezeogu and Yvan Kemajou start at end, with Max Granville climbing fast and Caleb Bacon moving from linebacker to a hybrid end role after 9.5 tackles for loss at Iowa State.
Linebacker. Lynn’s 4-2-5 uses two: Kooper Ebel in the middle and Tony Rojas as the multi-positional piece who rushes the passer. Cael Brezina backs up Ebel; Campbell singled out returning freshman Cam Smith in camp.
Secondary. Marcus Neal Jr., who led Iowa State with 11 tackles for loss from safety, pairs with Jeremiah Cooper, though Cooper’s availability for the opener is uncertain. Audavion Collins has been lights out at corner per Campbell, and true freshman Josiah Zayas earned a real role while Daryus Dixson and Jahmir Joseph were out. Zion Tracy at nickel is the defense’s chess piece.
The Bottom Line
Penn State is set at quarterback, tight end, safety and the interior defensive line, largely with players who already know Campbell’s system. The offensive line has a starting five and little else, which makes health up front the swing factor. The opener is previewed at Marshall vs. Penn State and the full slate is on our Penn State schedule. This page is updated after every game.