This is one in a series of stories breaking down each of the players on Penn State Football’s 2026 roster.
Bobby Mears committed to Penn State as a walk-on ahead of the 2023 campaign, then broke into the lineup for the first time last season. Mears fits the bill for your typical walk-on, a hard-nosed practice player who earned Developmental Squad Defensive Player of the Week honors from the coaching staff twice during the 2024 season for the effort he put on in practice.
As one of ten defensive ends on the Nittany Lions’ roster, Mears faces an uphill battle for playing time over his final two seasons of college eligibility. Seeing the former walk-ons get a chance to live out their college dream always provides a heartwarming boost for the home crowd… and the fact they typically check in with the score out of reach means that Mears stepping onto the field is a good omen for Penn State.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 257 pounds
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.High School Career: Mears earned regional honors in high school, including first team All-Eastern PA, all-area and all-conference nods.
PENN STATE
Where he stands: Expect Mears to continue under the Matt Campbell reign in much the same way as he did during his first three years with Penn State. He’s a gritty practice player who can provide a thread of continuity among a rebuilt roster for how the Nittany Lions like to do things.
As a former walk-on, Mears is quite literally putting his body on the line for the love of the game and his university, which deserves respect during the NIL era.
