One of them was a two-time All-American linebacker who is Penn State’s all-time leader in tackles. The other was a three-year starter at quarterback and a leader on the Nittany Lions’ 2016 Big Ten championship squad.

Matt Campbell has been a busy coach the last two months. Penn State’s newest head coach was officially hired Dec. 8 and, since then, he’s assembled a staff, solidified a recruiting class and gone back-and-forth with transfers. And starting at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, he’ll hold a press conference at the Beaver Stadium media room to go over it all:

Penn State hasn't released details of its annual spring scrimmage, but Campbell wants to get his new team into Beaver Stadium.

Despite being widely regarded as “Linebacker U” for a rich tradition on defense, Penn State had an obvious lack of depth at the position over the past two seasons. It was never more apparent than when Tony Rojas sustained a season-ending injury early in 2025.

Penn State and Matt Campbell faces problems

New data reveals how many former players followed head coaches to their new programs. The numbers show surprising numbers for Lane Kiffin

Former Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s decision to retire after more than 40 seasons in college created an opportunity for D’Anton Lynn to head east and join his alma mater. A skilled defensive back who spent four years with Penn State (2008-11),

New Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell and his on-field and behind-the-scenes staffs held their first junior day since being hired in early December, and it showed exactly how they plan to attack recruiting and the structure of their junior days.

The fallout from a 3–9 season is no longer confined to the field at Syracuse. It has reached the recruiting trail, and the timing could not be worse.