Penn State wasn’t shy about playing transfers under former coach James Franklin, but maybe the better word was judicious. Franklin signed transfers to fill holes and fit needs, as he did last season with three wide receivers who became starters.
Matt Campbell, however, is working from a different script in his first season at Penn State. Since he took the job in early December, Campbell has had no choice but to hit the transfer portal hard. He brought in 40 transfers from 17 schools, including 24 who played for him at Iowa State last season.
And many of them will play for the Nittany Lions this season. Our projected preseason depth charts count 15 potential starters among those transfers; eight on defense and seven on offense. And more will earn roles during training camp.
Need a freshener on the transfers to watch before the Sept. 5 opener against Marshall? Here’s a look at the top Penn State transfers we expect to make an immediate impact this season.
Penn State’s offensive transfers
Penn State’s offense will have a decidedly Iowa State flavor, with as many as six former Cyclones starting the opener. You know all about quarterback Rocco Becht, who has had the starting job since announcing his transfer. But his top throwing targets come from Iowa State as well.
Tight end Ben Brahmer is the most exciting offensive player, not merely transfer, on Penn State’s roster. Campbell went Bill Brasky on the 6-7 senior, saying he runs “almost 22 mph” and competed in seven events at his state track meet in Nebraska. If Brahmer lives up to half of Campbell’s hype, he’ll be an all-America candidate.
Campbell also raved about fellow former Iowa State tight end Gabe Burkle, who is returning from a 2025 ACL tear but was the “best blocking tight end” in the country before the injury. Teamed with returning tight end Andrew Rappleyea, this duo gives Penn State one of the Big Ten’s best rooms.
At receiver, fifth-year senior Chase Sowell is among the most fascinating stories on offense. Sowell has worked through multiple injuries dating to high school, being cut by Deion Sanders at Colorado as a freshman and a two-year stint at East Carolina to get to this point.
Sowell and Brett Eskildsen were Iowa State’s top receivers last year, and Campbell has tremendous faith in Eskildsen, a 6-1 junior from Texas who is among the team’s fastest players. Because of those two transfers, along with former Cyclones Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins, Campbell believes the receivers room is on the mend.
Penn State’s new backfield will be transfer heavy, with Carson Hansen, Iowa State’s leading rusher last year, likely getting the start vs. Marshall. Fellow transfer James Peoples, who spent two years at Ohio State, will make Hansen work to retain the starting role during the Big Ten schedule. They have complementary skillsets that offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser plans to deploy creatively.
Up front, two transfers will assume starting roles. Trevor Buhr is a fourth-year player from Iowa State who took a lot of snaps over the past two seasons. He’s penciled in to replace Vega Ioane at left guard.
Penn State also went to the portal for center Brock Riker, who was a freshman All-American at Texas State last season and among offensive line coach Ryan Clanton’s top offseason finds.
Notably, Penn State’s backup quarterback will be a transfer as well. Redshirt freshman Alex Manske, the highest-rated recruit in Iowa State’s 2025 recruiting class, is a contender to win the QB2 job, even though he only recently was cleared to practice after working through an offseason medical condition.
Penn State’s top defensive transfers
Except for cornerback, Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn essentially is starting from scratch personnel-wise. We expect to see up to eight new defensive starters from the portal.
Let’s start with those who will join returning cornerbacks Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson in the secondary. If the transfer additions work out, Penn State could actually upgrade their secondary play.
Jeremiah Cooper is the most important player Penn State fans haven’t seen yet, a two-time all-Big 12 safety who is recovering from a 2025 ACL tear. Campbell said that Cooper will ease back into practice and the lineup but could be ready as soon as the opener. Paired with fellow safety Marcus Neal Jr., who is getting early first-round draft hype, Cooper gives Penn State a dynamic look at safety.
Campbell loves the linebackers who transferred with him from Iowa State. The trio of Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina combined for 174 tackles last season, with Ebel and Bacon making 17.5 for losses. They will form the center of Penn State’s defense with Tony Rojas.
Up front, you’re going to see a new Penn State. Campbell and Lynn remade the defensive tackle position, bringing in five new players who are 319 pounds or bigger. The breakout candidate is Armstrong Nnodim, a redshirt sophomore from Oklahoma State who quickly has become a program “glue guy.”
Fellow tackles Siale Taupaki and Keanu Williams, veterans from UCLA, are familiar with Lynn and what he requires from his down linemen. On the edge, returners Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou will compete with two key transfers: Ikenna Ezeogu from Iowa State and Alexander McPherson from Colorado.
Ezeogu is a unique prospect. A redshirt senior, he’s 6-5, 275 pounds and has played both inside and outside. At Penn State, he’ll work primarily from the edge, making him the team’s most physically imposing pass-rusher.
Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
