Penn State received an encouraging update on its offensive line Thursday, with Malachi Goodman upgraded to probable for Saturday night’s game against Minnesota.
Goodman is the lone Nittany Lion listed as probable on the latest availability report.
His upgrade gives Penn State a positive development heading into the matchup, although his availability remains something to monitor before kickoff.
Last week against Washington, head coach Matt Campbell mentioned that Goodman was on a snap count as he conditioned back to game shape.
That allowed Garrett Sexton, who was a contender this preseason for the starting job, to get meaningful reps at left tackle.
At wide receiver, Koby Howard is officially out.
The designation follows Campbell’s comments during his Tuesday weekly press conference, when he described Howard as being in a “pause state.”
Thursday’s report confirms Penn State will face the Golden Gophers without Howard. The designation does not provide a timetable for his return.
Three Penn State defenders remain questionable: cornerback Jahmir Joseph, safety Jeremiah Cooper and defensive end Caleb Bacon. Their availability leaves questions at each of those positions as the Nittany Lions prepare for Minnesota.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Joseph and Cooper account for two of the unresolved situations in the secondary, while Bacon’s status bears watching along the defensive front.
Penn State listed five players as out. Joining Howard are defensive end Max Granville, linebacker Alex Tatsch, cornerback Tyler Armstead and defensive tackle Alijah Carnell.
With four defensive players already ruled out and three more questionable, the defense accounts for most of Penn State’s availability concerns entering the weekend.
For now, Goodman’s upgrade is the encouraging news, while Howard’s absence is confirmed and the three questionable defenders await further clarity.
Penn State hosts Minnesota on Saturday at 7 PM at Beaver Stadium on FS1.
