How Long Will Matt Campbell Need To Make Penn State A Playoff Team?

Penn State is 25-2 all-time against Indiana, which nevertheless will play successful a College Football Playoff title crippled earlier nan Nittany Lions. The unbeaten Hoosiers, which needed a Heisman Trophy infinitesimal from Fernando Mendoza to beat Penn State, meet Miami successful Monday's CFP title game, a wistful what-if infinitesimal for nan Nittany Lions.

That was supposed to beryllium Penn State, astatine slightest successful August. Instead, nan 2025 Nittany Lions unit and roster has splintered crossed nan country, pinch 50 players and 11 coaches, including James Franklin, leaving State College.

Yet Matt Campbell still arrived from Iowa State pinch a manadate: to rebuild Penn State arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable into a title contender. Campbell, who spent 10 seasons astatine Iowa State, has entree to much resources and a broader recruiting scope but besides much expectations.

So erstwhile tin Penn State reasonably expect to contend for a 2nd College Playoff bid? And is nan 2026 play excessively soon? Here's what to expect from Campbell and nan Nittany Lions.

Understanding expectations

Campbell and Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft posed for happy photos astatine Beaver Stadium successful early December, aft Kraft's lengthy hunt (which immoderate media labeled a "disaster") yielded a yes from nan 10-year Iowa State caput coach. Then Kraft sent Campbell to nan lions.

"Look," Kraft said, "there were a batch of turns, and I admit nan media speculating and putting things retired location each measurement of nan measurement that were existent aliases not true. But we sewage nan guy. We really sewage nan feline ... who is going to lead america to a nationalist title and bring america backmost to nan champion programme successful nan country."

And pinch that, Campbell took complete a programme not willing successful a rebuild, contempt what nan roster turnover mightiness say. Prior to Curt Cignetti taking complete successful 2024, Indiana had ne'er won 10 games successful a season. And intelligibly Penn State has higher expectations of Campbell than Indiana had of Cignetti then.

"We cognize what nan expectations are present astatine Penn State," Campbell said. "It’s been laid for a agelong time. You can’t person those expectations without nan habits and nan regular process it takes to get there. That’s what you’re going to perceive maine talk about.

"I cognize what nan expectations are. I want those expectations. ... Sacrificing nan early for 1 time aliases 1 season, we’re really going to person to beryllium smarter than everybody and to locomotion a good line."

Major changes to start

Beyond building a caller coaching unit (Campbell retained 3 Penn State assistants, including Terry Smith), Campbell had to overhaul nan team. Penn State mislaid 72 players from its 2025 roster, 50 of whom entered nan transportation portal.

He did truthful by signing 39 transfers, tied pinch UCLA for nan Big Ten's largest portal class, according to 247Sports. Campbell recruited 23 of those players from Iowa State, including three-year starting backmost Rocco Becht, who will beryllium nan team's centerpiece.

Campbell besides has received commitments from 9 members of his 2026 Iowa State recruiting class, bringing much familiarity pinch him to Penn State. But arsenic a result, Penn State turned over astir half its roster successful nan portal.

An discourtesy fresh to go

Campbell fundamentally imported his discourtesy from Iowa State to Penn State, which is simply a plus/minus. Campbell and Becht, who spent 3 years together moving nan Cyclones' offense, person developed a spot and short-hand connection that will easiness nan modulation for both. Campbell besides called that 1 of his biggest strengths astatine Iowa State.

"To me, that’s been 1 of our awesome successes during our clip astatine Iowa State is ever being capable to find a backmost and create a backmost to beryllium really special," he said.

Becht will person plentifulness of acquainted devices astatine Penn State, including his apical rusher (Carson Hansen) apical 2 receivers (Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen) and starring tight extremity (Benhamin Brahmer). Then he'll operation successful Penn State's top returning players successful tight extremity Andrew Rappleyea, receiver Koby Howard and linemen Anthony Donkoh and Cooper Cousins.

But Becht and violative coordinator will person to upgrade that offense, which classed 11th successful nan Big 12 successful yards per play past season, against mostly amended Big Ten defenses.

Getting nan defense up to speed

Penn State's defense has undergone nan astir alteration successful nan program. D'Anton Lynn replaces Jim Knowles, who liked to play 3 safeties and person his down linemen publication and react. The erstwhile USC protect coordinator apt will play much three-linebacker sets and prefers large run-stuffing tackles, underscored by UCLA transfers Siale Taupaki (6-4, 310 pounds) and Keanu Williams (6-5, 320).

But this defense will request time. Penn State fundamentally turned complete its full protect line, losing 12 players to nan portal and 3 to nan NFL. Six safeties left, including imaginable starters King Mack and Dejuan Lane. Middle linebacker Amare Campbell, nan team's starring tackler, chose to transfer to Tennessee.

Smith's return arsenic cornerbacks coach helped solidify that room, arsenic Audavion Collins, Daryus Dixson and Jahmir Joseph chose to return. However, Lynn will beryllium moving pinch a caller unit and a caller extent floor plan astatine his alma mater, making Penn State's defense nan centerpiece of adjacent season's transition.

Money to spend

Campbell said he had nan nation's lowest-paid roster astatine Iowa State past play and astir apt three-fourths of Penn State's budget. Asked successful December really overmuch much money he'll person astatine Penn State, Campbell said, "All of it."

In Year 1, Campbell appears to beryllium spending that money connected repopulating Penn State's roster alternatively than targeting high-end assets. Becht was nan highest-ranked subordinate successful nan portal (No. 34 overall, according to 247Sports) whom Penn State signed.

Campbell didn't (or hasn't yet) get a high-priced pass-rusher aliases recevier during nan January portal window. That's thing Kraft wanted to spot much of from Franklin. It's apt to beryllium thing Campbell will prioritize aft this season.

"It’s awesome to person nan money, but it’s utilizing nan money wisely," Campbell said. "It’s utilizing nan resources correctly, building nan correct squad and knowing what you’re trying to walk those things connected and making judge it’s astir nan correct things."

A friends schedule

Campbell became Penn State's caput coach astatine nan correct time, arsenic nan 2026 schedule mirrors what Cignetti had successful his first twelvemonth astatine Indiana. Penn State does not play Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois aliases Iowa adjacent season. All 5 teams won astatine slightest 9 games, and 3 made nan playoff.

The Nittany Lions sojourn Michigan (which besides has a caller caput coach) and Washington, while nan location schedule includes conscionable 1 squad (USC) that won 9 games. This is simply a playoff friends schedule correct retired of nan gross for Campbell.

Not to opportunity he gets Penn State there, but Campbell appears to beryllium reasoning astir a playoff tally successful Year 1. Becht made that clear successful an question and reply pinch ESPN's Pete Thamel aft signing.

"We were listening to him talk yesterday, and thing astir him changed," Becht told Thamel. "He's sewage nan resources and group down him and a programme down him to do what he wants to do — compete for a nationalist championship."

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