Penn State football, led by head coach Matt Campbell, officially announced a large influx of newcomers to its 2026 roster Friday, bolstering depth and experience through both the transfer portal and high school recruiting.
Transfers
The Nittany Lions received 39 transfer student-athletes, a group heavily shaped by Power 4 experience. Of those additions, 34 transfers come from Power 4 programs, including a significant pipeline from the Big 12, which accounts for 28 newcomers. Penn State also added transfers from the Big Ten, ACC, and SEC.
Positionally, the transfer class is well balanced, featuring two quarterbacks, two running backs, five wide receivers, three tight ends, seven offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, five linebackers, six defensive backs, a kicker, and a punter. The class brings immediate experience as well, with 14 seniors or redshirt seniors, seven juniors or redshirt juniors, and the remainder split between sophomores and redshirt freshmen.
Notably, the quarterback room was reinforced with the additions of Rocco Becht and Alex Manske, while the offensive and defensive lines each received major reinforcements aimed at shoring up the trenches.
OL Hunter Albright (6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Iowa State
TE Cooper Alexander (6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Iowa State)
LB Caleb Bacon (6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Iowa State)
QB Rocco Becht (6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Iowa State)
TE Benjamin Brahmer (6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Iowa State)
LB Cael Grezina Cael Brezina (6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Iowa State)
WR Karon Brookins (6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Iowa State)
OL Trevor Buhr (6-foot-4, 325 pounds, Iowa State
TE Gabe Burkle (6-foot-6, 255 pounds, Iowa State)
DL Alijah Carnell (6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Iowa State)
DB Jeremiah Cooper (6-feet, 195 pounds, Iowa State
DB Omarion Davis (5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Boston College)
LB Kooper Ebel (6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Iowa State)
WR Brett Eskildsen (6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Iowa State
DL Ike Ezeogu (6-foot-5, 285 pounds, Iowa State)
LB Chris Fileppo (6-foot-4, 208 pounds, West Virginia)
RB Carson Hansen (6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Iowa State)
OL Tyshon Huff (6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Tiffin)
OL Vaea Ikakoula (6-foot-3, 355 pounds, Iowa State)
WR Keith Jones Jr. (6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Grambling)
LB John Klosterman (5-foot-11, 230 pounds, Iowa State)
OL Kuol Kuol II (6-foot-6, 290 pounds, Iowa State)
QB Alex Manske (6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Iowa State)
DB Ibn McDaniels (6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Syracuse)
DL Alexander McPherson (6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Colorado)
DB Marcus Neal Jr. (6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Iowa State)
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.DL Armstrong Nnodim (6-foot-2, 290 pounds, Oklahoma State)
DB Jamison Patton (6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Iowa State)
RB James Peoples (5-foot-10, 206 pounds, Ohio State
OL Brock Riker (6-foot-4, 285 pounds, Texas State)
WR Zay Robinson (5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Iowa State)
K Cristiano Rosa (5-foot-11, 206 pounds, James Madison)
WR Chase Sowell (6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Iowa State)
DB Hunter Sowell (5-foot-10, 170 pounds, Iowa State)
DL Siale Taupaki (6-foot-4, 310 pounds, UCLA)
P Nathan Tiyce (6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Mississippi State)
OL Will Tompkins (6-foot-5, 300 pounds, Iowa State)
DL Dallas Vakalahi (6-foot-2, 318 pounds, Utah)
DL Keanu Williams (6-foot-5, 320 pounds, UCLA
Penn State also added 11 high school signees to the 2026 class, emphasizing long-term development. The group includes two quarterbacks, a running back, a wide receiver, an offensive lineman, a defensive lineman, four defensive backs, and one athlete.
Geographically, Pennsylvania and Nebraska lead the class with three signees each, highlighting continued regional strength. Additional signees hail from Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia.
Together, the combination of experienced transfers and promising high school talent reflects Campbell’s aggressive approach to roster building as Penn State prepares for the future.
DB Christian Askew (6-foot-4, 185 pounds. Kathleen, Georgia)
OL Mason Bandhauer (6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Fort Collins, Colorado)
DB Tyrell Chatman (6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Lincoln, Nebraska)
QB Kass Evans (6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Lexington, Texas)
QB Peyton Falzone (6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Nazareth, PA)
DL Jackson Ford (6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Phoenixville, PA)
ATH Amarion Jackson (6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Omaha, Nebraska)
RB D’Antae Sheffey (5-foot-11, 195 pounds, State College, PA)
WR Ben Whitver (6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Powhatan, Virginia)
DB Bryson Williams (6-foot-4, 180 pounds, Omaha, Nebraska)
DB Josiah Zayas (6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Piscataway, New Jersey)
