This is one in a series of stories breaking down each player on Penn State football’s 2026 roster.
Brock Riker comes to Penn State with one statistic that immediately stands out.
He didn’t allow a sack in 2025.
For an offensive lineman transferring into the Big Ten, that is about as good as it can get.
Riker, a redshirt sophomore from Brock, Texas, arrives at Penn State after two seasons at Texas State.
The 6-foot-4, 291-pound center started 12 games for the Bobcats in 2025 and became one of the more productive young offensive linemen in the country, earning second-team Freshman All-American honors from The Athletic.
According to Pro Football Focus, Riker played 868 offensive snaps in 2025 and 438 pass-blocking snaps. He allowed no sacks, one quarterback hit and six hurries. He finished with a 71.7 overall grade, a 71.5 run-blocking grade and a 79.1 pass-blocking grade.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.That pass-blocking number is the key.
Penn State has been looking to build more stability across the offensive line, and Riker gives the Nittany Lions a young player who already handled a full workload at center.
Texas State’s offense consistently produced behind that line, topping 400 total yards in several games and closing the season with 437 yards and five touchdowns in a bowl win over Rice.
Before Texas State: Riker played at Brock High School in Texas, where he worked on both the offensive and defensive lines. As a senior, he recorded 83 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and 13 quarterback hurries. He also competed in track and field.
Where he stands: Riker enters 2026 as one of Penn State’s most interesting offensive line additions.
He’s young, proven and already has high-level pass-protection production. With the graduation of Nick Dawkins, Riker should be snapping the ball to quarterback Rocco Becht this fall.
Riker should be anchoring an offensive line with Malachi Goodman, Trevor Buhr, Cooper Cousins, and Anthony Donkoh.
