Penn State is remaking its offense for Year 1 of the Matt Campbell era. The Nittany Lions brought in much of the Iowa State offensive coaching staff along with 13 former Cyclones and other transfers.

The transition comes after a 7-6 season for Penn State, which averaged 362 yards and 30.7 points per game in 2025 and ranked rather highly in the ESPN College Football Power Index in efficiency (27th). Key starters departed for the NFL draft this offseason, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser followed Campbell from Iowa State, so the Nittany Lions’ offense will have a brand new look in 2026. 

But will all that change lead to a better offense for Penn State this year? Here are three reasons why it could and three reasons why it might not. 

Will: Rocco Becht provides a high floor at quarterback

Campbell believes the relationship between the head coach and quarterback is among the most important on a team. So it was no surprise that the Nittany Lions added Iowa State starter Rocco Becht out of the transfer portal a month after Campbell became head coach.

Becht led the Cyclones’ offense from 2023-25. He passed for 2,584 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season despite battling shoulder injuries, which he rehabbed this offseason.

In his final year of eligibility, Becht should provide a sturdy floor for the Nittany Lions in 2026. He’s shown he can make smart and consistent throws and can also use his legs when needed. Which is why ESPN ranked Becht as the No. 6 newcomer (transfer or freshman) in college football this season.

Becht might not be the flashiest quarterback, but he should be able to make plays to put Penn State in a position to move the offense downfield and win games. That would be an upgrade over Drew Allar, whose inconsistency was a theme of his career and whose key interceptions (in the 2025 Orange Bowl against Notre Dame and in the White Out vs. Oregon) cost the Nittany Lions important games. 

Will: The wide receivers should be more reliable

An issue that plagued Penn State at the end of the James Franklin era was the lack of production from its wide receivers. That trend continued in 2025, as the Nittany Lions’ portal additions didn’t meet expectations.

This year, Penn State once again revamped the position through the transfer portal, but it should lead to better results this time around. Former Iowa State starters Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen headline that group, and their experience with Becht (a combined 1,026 receiving yards last season) should lead to more production in Happy Valley.

Sophomore returnee Koby Howard has a chance to see more action in 2026 after generating buzz as a freshman. He caught seven passes for 133 yards, including three receptions for 20 or more yards. He averaged 19 yards per catch.

Will: Penn State has a standout tight end duo

Penn State might officially list only one starter at tight end, but it has two who can handle those duties: Iowa State transfer Benjamin Brahmer and returnee Andrew Rappleyea.

Brahmer has proven production with Becht, hauling in 37 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns last season. Rappleyea took over the starting role for the Nittany Lions in 2025, scoring a touchdown in each of his last three games.

Heading into the 2026 season, both tight ends should be key contributors for Penn State.  Brahmer and Rappleyea will give the Nittany Lions the ability to use 12 personnel formations, which allows the offense to have another option to succeed.

Won’t: Offensive line has too many questions

Penn State’s offensive line will be new, with Anthony Donkoh the only returning starter. And he’s even seeing change, returning to right tackle after playing right guard last season.

Taking over for Donkoh at guard likely will be Cooper Cousins, who was a depth piece for the Nittany Lions in his first two seasons. Texas State transfer Brock Riker was a standout center for his team last year, but he’s making a jump in competition to the Big Ten.

Meanwhile, Iowa State transfer Trevor Buhr should step into the left guard spot after starting six games there for the Cyclones in 2025. Returnee Malachi Goodman, who redshirted in 2025 but was a 247Sports 5-star prospect, likely plays next to him at left tackle. Goodman has yet to take a snap in a live game.

The Nittany Lions might have the pieces of a successful offensive line, and coach Ryan Clanton said they have bought into his message about becoming tougher. But the group has never played together, making chemistry a quick developmental need of training camp. 

Won’t: Run game might not be ready for Big Ten defensive lines

For the first time since 2021, Penn State can’t depend on running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, who both departed for the NFL after standout careers.

In response, Penn State picked up Iowa State transfer Carson Hansen and Ohio State transfer James Peoples to join returning backs Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace. Hansen racked up 952 yards as a starter for the Cyclones last season, Peoples made some flashes in a limited role with the Buckeyes and Martin had 103 yards in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The potential issue here is that none has proven production as a starter in the Big Ten, which is known to have better defensive lines than the Big 12. One could overcome this, or the three could do so by committee, but it’s going to be difficult to match Singleton and Allen's production.

Won’t: An unclear backup quarterback situation

Allar missed the last seven games of 2025 due to injury, which thrust backup Ethan Grunkemeyer into action. Grunkemeyer played well to help the team go 4-3 with a bowl win in that stretch. He’ll likely start for Virginia Tech this season. For Penn State this season, the situation would be worse if Becht gets injured. 

Iowa State transfer Alex Manske and Division III transfer Connor Barry are the primary depth pieces at quarterback. While Manske is expected to be healthy for fall camp, he missed spring practices, which gave first-team opportunities to Barry, as Becht was also limited due to injury.

Manske was Becht’s backup at Iowa State in 2025, though he attempted only five passes. Barry is a senior with more experience but has never thrown a Division I pass. A D3 All-American at Christopher Newport, Barry is making quite the jump in competition, so there’s no clear backup who could produce if needed.

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