The Latest Koby Howard Update is a Bizarre One from Penn State's Matt Campbell

The Koby Howard saga in Happy Valley continues for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Everyone is waiting patiently for the wide receiver to return, and we are being led to believe that day is close, but each update gets weirder. 

On Tuesday, Matt Campbell spoke about the wide receiver and the prospects that he has to return this year. His response wasn't exactly inspiring. He said that the Nittany Lions are in a "pause state" with Howard, and then he went on to say that this "pause state" might mean the season or might mean the postseason. 

It was one of the weirdest answers you will ever hear from a coach on anything. Just a bit of a word salad to avoid what is becoming obvious: Koby Howard is more than likely not going to play this year.

Now, that is purely speculation, as nothing has been reported from inside the building, but it is getting pretty bleak for him to compete back on the field this year.

It is truly a bummer because he got off to such a hot start this year. He was the missing piece that this team and this program have been dreaming of for years. He is an explosive receiver who made the big play look easy. 

It was a big play that derailed his season early on. He broke free against the Buffalo Bulls, and while he was sprinting towards a 70-yard touchdown, he came up injured. When the injury happened is unclear, and what the exact injury was has not been disclosed.

The only thing that we do know for a fact is that the Howard has missed the six conference games that the Nittany Lions have played.

Had he been playing in the first half of the Big Ten conference, it's very possible that Penn State would have won one of their first couple of matchups. How that would have changed the outlook of the year, no one will ever know.

What his presence would have meant to this team for the whole season is also something we will never know. Hopefully this isn't a sign that Howard will be looking for work somewhere else because he has a skill set that the Nittany Lions need and has the potential that could be fruitful for the Lions for a long time.

Right now, it is disappointing that we likely will not get the chance to see him compete for the Nittany Lions this year. It's hard to argue with it since Penn State isn't playing for anything this year, but that doesn't make it any less of a bummer.

No updates for Koby Howard and his status for Saturday and beyond are still squarely in question.