When Penn State football hired former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell several weeks ago, the Nittany Lion fanbase was left with some relief and intrigue for what the next era of the program could look like. A proven program builder and winner with both the Cyclones and the Toledo Rockets, there is no question that Campbell understands how to create quality programs. Jumping up to become the Penn State head coach, however, is a big one, and many people will wonder if Campbell is the right man for the job long term.

If Campbell is going to succeed in Happy Valley, there are a couple of important pieces of criteria that he will need to accomplish. With the termination of James Franklin, retention was going to be a huge issue for this team from the beginning. Campbell needed to, however, find a way to rebuild the floor. Creating some level of stability was a huge area of concern. That was and will continue to be priority No. 1.

From there, Campbell and the Nittany Lion staff needed to do their best to put a fence around the state of Pennsylvania from a high school recruiting perceptive. The program has typically done a good job of keeping top talent at home, and they need to figure out how to do so going into the future. The Keystone State has been a great base to build from, and with Franklin gone, that immediately became an area of concern. Campbell has experience recruiting the state of Pennsylvania, but you aren’t trying to find underrecruited talent anymore. You are now trying to convince the elite talent to stay home.

Could Campbell accomplish both these feats? It is early, but the early feedback seems to be positive.

Building up the floor of the program

Without the ability to retain a large portion of the talent from the previous Penn State squad, Campbell and Co. were forced to get a bit creative. He opted to utilize a strategy that made a lot of sense: Get as many former Iowa State players to Happy Valley as possible. If nothing else, the baseline understanding of the expectations for a Matt Campbell program feels beneficial. The transfer portal offered that chance to secure those known commodities.

Penn State didn’t just land a couple of good players from Iowa State. They basically gutted the whole Cyclone roster. That included quarterback Rocco Becht, tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle, running back Chase Hansen, wide receiver Chase Sowell, offensive lineman Trevor Buhr, linebackers Cael Brezina and Caleb Bacon, defensive lineman Ikenna Ezeogu, safety Marcus Neal Jr., and cornerback Jeremiah Cooper, among many others. Those additions won’t guarantee that the Nittany Lions will be able to compete for a Big Ten Championship in 2026, but the strategy does improve their chances of putting a solid product on the field.

That was step one, and Campbell passed it. Well done, Coach Campbell.

Keeping the Pennsylvania pipeline alive for Penn State

After Franklin was let go, Penn State lost several commitments in its 2026 and 2027 recruitment. While things were too late with several members of 2026, the Nittany Lions do have time to make things right with the 2027 group. One player that the team has recovered well with is McKeesport (Pa.) High school five-star running back Kemon Spell. Following the Franklin decision, both Notre Dame and Georgia seemed like they had a strong chance to land the dynamic runner.

While Spell does currently sit without a commitment, there is growing optimism that Spell will once again be in the class when all is said and done. The feeling is similar to Pittsburgh (Pa.) Pine-Richland four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor now, as well. If Penn State is able to earn commitments again from two of the very best in the area, it would be a huge indication that Campbell is making an impact in Pennsylvania. That is how this program gets back to the top, hopefully in the somewhat near future under Campbell.

Without that talent base in the home state, it was going to be hard for Penn State to hit its ceiling as a program. The early buzz is very, very promising.

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