Penn State football’s depth chart is beginning to take shape with the season opener around the corner, offering the clearest picture yet of how first-year coach Matt Campbell and his staff envision the Nittany Lions’ roster.
While a handful of starting jobs remain fluid and rotations are expected at several positions, the projected two-deep reflects the talent acquired through the transfer portal, the emergence of younger players and the veterans who have earned the coaching staff’s trust throughout fall camp.
Here’s our projection of Penn State’s offensive and defensive depth chart entering Week 1. The player listed first at each position is projected as the starter.
Offense
QB: Rocco Becht – Alex Manske
RB: Carson Hansen – James Peoples
Split End (X): Chase Sowell – Karon Brookins
Flanker (Z): Brett Eskildsen – Amarion Jackson
Slot (F): Koby Howard – Zay Robinson
TE: Benjamin Brahmer – Andrew Rappleyea
LT: Malachi Goodman – Owen Alicene
LG: Trevor Buhr – Vaea Ikakoula
C: Brock Riker – Dom Rulli
RG: Cooper Cousins – Will Tompkins
RT: Anthony Donkoh – Garrett Sexton
Notes: The biggest battle throughout the offseason came at left tackle, where it was a three-man race until Malachi Goodman separated himself with greater consistency during camp. Owen Alicene gives Penn State quality depth behind Goodman, while Garrett Sexton will continue developing under Anthony Donkoh, whose versatility has allowed him to play multiple spots along the offensive line.
The biggest storyline to watch on offense is the emergence of the young receivers. Both Amarion Jackson and Zay Robinson have earned consistent praise from Campbell throughout fall camp and appear poised to carve out meaningful roles.
Running back may be the toughest position to project because the Nittany Lions have four capable options. Carson Hansen enters Week 1 as the favorite to open as RB1, but the gap between Hansen, James Peoples, Quinton Martin and Cam Wallace is razor-thin. That competition is likely to continue well into the non-conference schedule.
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DE: Ike Ezeogu – Max Granville
DT: Keanu Williams – Siale Taupaki
DT: Armstrong Nnodim – Dallas Vakalahi
DE: Yvan Kemajou – Caleb Bacon
WILL: Tony Rojas – Alex Tatsch
MIKE: Kooper Ebel – Cael Brezina
LCB: Daryus Dixson – Joshua Johnson
RCB: Audavion Collins – Jahmir Joseph
Nickel: Zion Tracy – Ibn McDaniels
Strong Safety: Marcus Neal – Vaboue Toure
Free Safety: Jeremiah Cooper – Jamison Patton
Notes: One of the most noticeable takeaways from watching Penn State throughout camp has been the size of its lines on both sides of the ball. That’s especially true along the interior defensive line, where the projected defensive tackle rotation averages nearly 315 pounds.
The biggest question entering the season is Penn State’s edge rush. Ike Ezeogu had arguably the strongest offseason among the defensive ends, while his emergence prompted the staff to move Caleb Bacon from linebacker to the edge.
Although Yvan Kemajou gets the nod in this projection, Bacon’s ability to consistently win at the line of scrimmage could make it difficult for Campbell and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to keep him off the field.
The other question mark is depth at safety. Marcus Neal and Jeremiah Cooper form one of the Big Ten’s best starting duos, but there is a noticeable drop-off behind them. Vaboue Toure has the talent to develop into a reliable contributor, making his early-season progression one of the more important storylines to monitor.
