Penn State’s success for the 2026 football season may come down less to talent acquisition and more to how well its roster comes together under a new head coach.
David Cobb of CBS Sports, who recently outlined what he believes will determine whether Penn State can find early success under Matt Campbell, had some great thoughts about that.
“In the short term, Penn State's 2026 success will be determined by how Campbell blends three distinct factions within his own roster,” Cobb wrote.
“First, there are the holdovers from the 2025 team who developed a strong loyalty to former interim coach and current cornerbacks coach Terry Smith. Then, there are the newcomers, a group that includes 12 true freshmen and a small but growing number of transfers from places other than Iowa State. Finally, there is the list of former Iowa State players that is at 20 and counting who know Campbell and understand his style.”
This isn’t a full rebuild, and that isn’t common in college football due to NIL, but it’s a roster filled with different experiences and coaching. It seems like he wants to bring a lot of guys over from Iowa State, and has done so, but that doesn’t mean Penn State will instantly find success.
It isn’t like Iowa State was a juggernaut in the Big 12.
Terry Smith’s situation is a smart one to bring up. That loyalty doesn’t leave overnight, and how Campbell handles those relationships will matter early on. Many of the players on Penn State’s roster last season wanted Campbell as their head coach, and they made that clear.
Former Iowa State players give Campbell some familiarity, which is good, but again, doesn’t necessarily mean Penn State will find success.
While the Iowa State players understand how he operates, how schemes are run, and more, there are always new challenges when going to a new school.
Penn State has some questions going into the year, but it is also in a decent spot. Depending on what it can do during the remainder of the transfer portal, there’s reason to believe that Penn State can find plenty of success in Big Ten play.