Penn State still hopes star receiver Koby Howard can play against Washington Saturday, but it’s far from a guarantee.
Coach Matt Campbell said in his weekly Tuesday press conference that Howard was questionable for Saturday, and added Wednesday when talking with reporters that Howard has been “very limited” during practice this week.
Howard is a guy Penn State would love to have back.
Through three games, Howard caught 12 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns, averaging an impressive 28.7 yards per reception.
He also recorded two 100-yard receiving performances during that stretch, becoming the first Penn State receiver to accomplish that feat in a season since Parker Washington and Jahan Dotson in 2021.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Campbell said after Saturday’s win over Purdue that he felt Howard and Chase Sowell— Penn State’s leading receiver who was also out for Purdue— were both close to coming back.
Tuesday, he said he felt Sowell was trending toward being probable.
Having one of those two back would be a big boost for the Penn State offense. Although Penn State was able to work around Sowell and Howard being out by throwing to tight ends Ben Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea more, it’s hard to argue that they don’t need Howard and Sowell going forward. Before Howard went down, he was trending toward being one of the best receivers in the country. Even if Howard does come back for Washington, him missing five games will have people wondering what 2026 might have been.
But all Penn State can do is focus on Washington. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 EST on FS1.
