On Tuesday, Penn State coach Matt Campbell told us star receiver Koby Howard “got dinged up” in Saturday’s win over Buffalo and that his status going forward was uncertain.
He provided more clarity Tuesday, and it wasn’t good news.
Campbell told reporters that Howard would be “out for an extended period of time.”
The good news is that Campbell said the injury isn’t season ending, but overall, this is a big blow for Penn State.
Howard has gone off for 100+ yards in two of Penn State’s first three games, the first time since 2021 that a wideout has had multiple 100-yard games in a season.
He’s fourth in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (114.7), leads the Big Ten and is third in the country in yards per catch (28.67).
So, yeah, he’s a guy Penn State wants out there.
Both Campbell and QB Rocco Becht expressed optimism in Penn State’s receivers behind Howard Tuesday.
“I have a ton of confidence in that room. You talk about Zay Robinson, Amarion Jackson, and Brett (Eskildsen) and Chase (Sowell),” Becht said. “I mean, those are four guys that are trusted, who’ve been able to practice well, and have been able to go out and have good reps in a game.”
“I think that room in general has really got off to a great start,” Campbell said. “I mean, you know, what Chase Sowell has done, I think, has been, you know, better maybe than I would even expect to where he’s been. I think we talked about it in preseason camp is consistency, and I think he’s given you dynamic playmaking ability.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Through three games, Sowell has 126 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions.
Campbell continued.
“On the outside, I think Brett Eskildsen got off to a great start. He kind of got dinged up and was really limited. You know, the last two weeks, but I think, you know, you guys have covered us and seen Brett. I think, you know, like, man, every opportunity he’s got, he’s made some dynamic things happen.”
Eskildsen caught five passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against Marshall, but with the limitations Campbell mentioned, he’s caught four passes for 35 yards total the last two weeks.
Campbell then mentioned a guy who, like Howard, is a young, explosive talent.
“Obviously, Zay Robinson’s been a great piece,” he said. And, you know him and Koby have kind of been a one-two punch in the slot at times, and both of them made some really big plays in some critical moments for us.”
One of those plays on Robinson’s end was a 39-yard touchdown catch against Marshall.
Robinson has 80 yards on five receptions, good for a 16-yard-per-catch average that ranks behind only Howard among Penn State’s wideouts.
Penn State’s next three games are against Wisconsin, at Northwestern and against USC at Beaver Stadium. So a tough stretch just got tougher.
