Evaluating Matt Campbell's First Transfer Class At Penn State

Two years ago, erstwhile nan Big Ten was still divided into divisions, Indiana went winless successful nan East and won only 1 convention game. This year, nan Hoosiers went 16-0 and are nationalist champions. 

When Curt Cignetti took complete Indiana successful 2024 aft spending 5 years arsenic nan caput coach astatine James Madison, 13 of his players followed. It’s a akin communicative pinch Matt Campbell leaving Iowa State for Penn State, though it’s evidently measurement excessively early to show whether Campbell tin replicate what Cignetti did astatine Indiana. 

Penn State revamped astir of its roster successful nan transportation portal, signing 39 transfers, including 23 erstwhile Cyclones. There’s a logic for that strategy.  

“I deliberation this is partially why truthful galore schools wanted to prosecute sitting caput coaches this year,” said Ryan Snyder, recruiting expert for Blue-White Illustrated of nan On3 network. “Because they cognize you person to bring those apical guys from your existent roster, if you can, to deed nan crushed running.”

RELATED: Where Penn State ranks successful nan too-early 2026 assemblage shot rankings

Will it activity for Penn State arsenic well?

Under erstwhile coach James Franklin, Penn State was ne'er a awesome subordinate successful nan transportation portal. But Campbell had to be, pinch 50 players from nan 2025 roster entering erstwhile it opened Jan. 2. It was expected that respective of his Iowa State players would travel Campbell, conscionable arsenic a twelve Nittany Lions followed Franklin to Virginia Tech. But Penn State besides added 16 different transfers successful that two-week window.

College shot is still comparatively caller to nan NIL era, and its effect connected recruiting and nan allure of nan transportation portal mean that simply seeking older talent isn’t a sustainable approach. 

“At nan extremity of nan day, it’s conscionable whether they tin accommodate to this level and person nan guys successful nan existent locker room mesh pinch these caller guys and travel together arsenic a team,” Snyder said. “Everybody saw what Indiana did, and that’s benignant of nan exemplary they’re shooting for. Whether that’s easy to do aliases not, clip will tell.”

During his introductory property conference, Campbell discussed his attack to recruiting and nan portal astatine Penn State. 

“The flash, nan stars, that’s cool connected Signing Day, but winning shot games connected Saturday is what we’re going to beryllium about,” Campbell said successful December.

Snyder believes that Penn State fans could person mixed feelings astir that connection and that Campbell needs to find a “middle ground” regarding really he intends to navigate recruiting and nan transportation portal. 

“Penn State fans aren’t going to judge recruiting classes [ranking] successful nan 40s,” Snyder said. “They’re not going to judge only a fistful of four-star guys and missing retired connected nan apical five-stars. That remark was very absorbing to me, because it played good to a conception of fans that don’t travel recruiting and attraction astir conscionable wins, and that makes sense. But I besides deliberation there’s a conception of fans that deliberation Penn State had a very talented roster and they needed amended coaching to get them complete nan top.”

Penn State’s portal performance

Penn State had a assortment of position groups to reside successful nan portal, pinch protect extremity and wide receiver being precocious priorities. At protect end, Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou stuck pinch Penn State, but it’s a young room that has a batch to prove.

“It’s going to beryllium interesting,” Snyder said regarding really Penn State handles nan position group. “I really for illustration Alexander McPherson. I deliberation he’s a bully young subordinate who’s retired of Colorado.” 

Iowa State’s Ike Ezeogu is nan different protect extremity to transportation to Penn State. Jackson Ford, a 4-star precocious schoolhouse recruit, will besides beryllium caller to nan room this season. The Nittany Lions saw six separator players time off done nan portal. 

Before nan 2025 season, Penn State tried to remedy its wide receiver problem successful nan portal, which didn’t cookware retired arsenic expected. Once again, it remains a request for nan Nittany Lions. So far, Snyder said he likes what he has seen from respective of nan transportation receivers, who see Iowa State’s Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen.  

How quickly these caller additions tin make an effect for Penn State will beryllium absorbing to watch arsenic nan extent floor plan starts taking shape.

Does Terry Smith still person an effect connected recruiting?

Before Terry Smith became nan program’s interim caput coach, he played a ample domiciled successful recruiting, specifically successful occidental Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Penn State retained 4 cornerbacks, nan position Smith coaches, arsenic nan group remained mostly intact pinch him staying connected staff.

“Terry’s ever been nan subordinate caput coach. He’s ever been benignant of No. 2 successful command, moreover nether James, truthful I deliberation that surely played a domiciled successful immoderate guys staying,” Snyder said. “One of nan biggest things is really it helps this caller unit assimilate to Mid-Atlantic recruiting and everybody that he knows and his success.”

“You’re successful nan astir fertile crushed of nan excellence of precocious schoolhouse shot successful a six- to eight-hour radius,” Campbell said backmost successful December. “Everything will commencement pinch building precocious schoolhouse shot and continuing to do a awesome occupation successful this authorities and our surrounding states. Nobody is going to onslaught much than us.”

Will Penn State ever beryllium this progressive successful nan portal?

Building a roster takes time, and Campbell has a batch of activity up to get Penn State backmost into viable contention for championships. Penn State mightiness not usage nan portal this overmuch each offseason, but that’s difficult to predict. Snyder said. 

“I’ve sewage this mobility each nan clip connected connection committee stuff, too,” Snyder said. “I deliberation it’s really different 1 of those questions that it's going to return moreover much than a year, I think, to really benignant it retired because moreover this adjacent year, I still expect it to beryllium astir apt heavier portal than what fans are utilized to and what Campbell would want to do regularly.”

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