This is one in a series of stories breaking down each of the players on Penn State Football’s 2026 roster.
Junior wide receiver Brett Eskildsen followed head coach Matt Campbell and starting quarterback Rocco Becht from Iowa State to Happy Valley. He started eight of 25 games over the first two years of his college career, breaking onto the scene in 2025 with an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. Eskildsen’s 17.5 yards per catch ranked second in the Big 12 and among the top 25 nationally last season, a testament to his home run potential with the ball in his hands.
Not only did Eskildsen build a rapport with Becht, he also hauled in a 45-yard pass from tight end Benjamin Brahmer, another Penn State transfer, on a trick play, a connection to watch out for in 2026. With two seasons left in his college career and the potential for postseason awards on his radar, Eskildsen could turn into a valuable contributor on the Penn State’s offense.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 197 pounds
Hometown: Frisco, Texas
High School Career: Eskildsen earned a three-star rating as a recruit despite missing all but one game of his senior season to injury. He also competed in the 100-meter dash, qualifying for regionals during his junior and senior seasons thanks largely to top of the line speed.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Iowa State (2024-25): Eskildsen started eight of 25 games during his two years in Ames, amassing 30 catches for 526 yards and five touchdowns last season as one of Becht’s favorite targets. That performance earned him an honorable mention to the All-Big 12 team.
Eskildsen also racked up three special teams tackles as a true freshman, contributing across the gridiron.
PENN STATE
Where he stands: Eskildsen led the run-first Cyclones in receiving yards as a sophomore and hit 21.3 miles per hour on a 75-yard first-play touchdown against BYU, the third-fastest speed of any ball-career in Week 9 last season.
Campbell also retained his leading rusher from Iowa State last season, Carson Hansen, but he could expect a leap from his passing game during Rocco Becht’s final season in college. As such, expect Penn State to draw up plays for Eskildsen early and often in 2026.
A quote by Eskildsen: The junior receiver gave his starting quarterback plenty of hype during the spring practice period, describing how the standard Becht sets rubs off on the rest of his teammates.
“He’s really about that,” Eskildsen said, referring to Becht as ‘Mr. President’. I mean. No matter what it is in his process, whether it’s off the field, whether it’s in the training room, nutrition, he’s always holding himself and holding everyone else to the standard of excellence. So just him holding us to the standard and being an example for all of us is awesome.
