Penn State football HC Matt Campbell just made one thing very clear by sending a powerful message after his first win
The Penn State football Nittany Lions are looking good after their first win under Matt Campbell, and he made one thing clear.
Matt Campbell’s first win as Penn State’s head coach came with plenty for the Nittany Lions to celebrate. But in the aftermath, Campbell delivered a message that could prove far more important than anything that happened on the scoreboard for Penn State football.
At Penn State, opportunities aren’t simply handed out. They’re earned. Just because this is a new era doesn’t mean just anyone gets to dress out. You see teams across the country dressing a ton of players out in Week 1. The Oklahoma Sooners played over 80 of their 105 players. Campbell and Penn State won’t be doing that.
“We’re not into dressing everybody. You’ve got to earn the right to dress, and you’ve got to earn the right to go,” Campbell told reporters on Wednesday.
And there are two sides to this. On one hand, you love that there’s a standard in place. Fans have to love that Campbell is showing the players that this is a privilege. In today’s era of college football, it can be easy for players to overlook something like that. They get handed this money and think they automatically deserve a spot. Campbell is making sure he keeps those values alive and sets the standard. You have to love that. But there can be a bad side to this.
Matt Campbell not dressing everyone could hurt Penn State football this early in the year
When you have these weaker non-conference games at the beginning of the year, it’s important to get depth players on the field. It’s very important to get guys on the field who need development. Penn State won their game 45-0. That’s plenty of points ahead and no score allowed. In other words, that’s the perfect time you want to get your young guys, your walk-ons, and your depth players on the field.
If you’re not dressing many, how will you develop guys in your program? Reps matter, and live game reps are gold in college football. This also has to be considered when you’re telling people that not everyone is dressing out.
