In building Penn State’s new football roster, head coach Matt Campbell clearly prioritized experience as a key tool. The 2026 Nittany Lions will be one of the Big Ten’s most veteran teams in terms of returning starts and snaps that they now can carry into 2027 and beyond.
The NCAA’s Division I Cabinet unanimously passed what it called a “sweeping overhaul” of long-held athlete eligiblity rules. The NCAA is framing its updated legislation as age-based eligiblity, which will allow college athletes to play their sport for up to five years.
The language is precise, but basically, athletes who enroll in college “no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday” will get five years of eligibility. No four-game redshirt limits in football, no redshirts at all and no waivers for extensions. Athletes can play their sport for five years.
The rule does not apply to athletes who will have no eligiblity, under the former rules, after this season. So Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who brings more than 2,500 career snaps into the 2026 season, cannot return in 2027.
However, several key Nittany Lions who are seniors playing their fourth seasons of college football in 2026 will have the option to return in 2027. And others have a new outlook on their futures.
As the NCAA notes, it’s whatever decision “most beneficial to the student-athlete.” That affects several key Penn State football players this season.
Nittany Lions who could return for a 5th year
The two most notable Nittany Lions who could take advantage of the rule are tight end Ben Brahmer and cornerback Zion Tracy. Brahmer transferred to Penn State after playing three seasons at Iowa State, leading the Cyclones in receptions (37) and touchdowns (six) in 2025.
Brahmer could be the centerpiece of a Penn State offense that will rely heavily on its tight ends this season. At 6-5, 252 pounds, Brahmer also has a prototype NFL tight-end frame and would be among the position’s top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, Brahmer now has another option if his 2026 season doesn’t go as expected.
Same for Tracy, who has played in 40 games over his three seasons at Penn State. Tracy is one of the Nittany Lions’ defensive centerpieces, a player around whom they could build a scheme. Campbell made that clear during spring drills.
“I think Zion can be one of the best corners in the country,” Campbell said. “I think he can be one of the best safeties in the country. He can play nickel. He can do a lot. When you have a chess piece like Zion, it gives you the ability to start to kind of navigate the rest of the defensive structure kind of around him.”
Like Brahmer, Tracy has played plenty of football and could position himself as a Day 2 draft pick next season. The Nittany Lions also are deep with young cornerbacks, notably sophomore Daryus Dixson and redshirt freshman Jahmir Joseph. But with fifth-year senior Daryus Dixson playing his last season, Tracy’s return can’t be discounted entirely.
Three other Nittany Lions are true seniors with another season of college football if they want it: safety Jamison Patton, running back Carson Hansen and linebacker Kooper Ebel. Patton is the most intriguing of the group.
He started nine games for Iowa State last season before getting injured and wasn’t eligible for a medical redshirt. Now, he could take that opportunity to return in 2027.
Other Nittany Lions to watch
The rule specifically impacts several notable Penn State players. Receiver Koby Howard, for instance, used a year of eligibility in 2025 by playing in nine games and making four starts. But he caught just seven passes, prompting then-interim head coach Terry Smith to wonder about his offensive usage. Now, Howard can hit the reset button on his career and play four more seasons if he chooses.
Likewise defensive end LaVar Arrington II, who made a position switch for Campbell and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Arrington last season a linebacker, where he played few snaps, but burned his redshirt on special teams.
Like Howard, Arrington the 2025 season basically was a free transition year to college, and he can play four more if he chooses. That could be a major benefit for a 220-pound player switching from linebacker to defensive end.
“He’s explosive and he’s dynamic,” Campbell said of Arrington. “His first couple steps are what I would say are like ‘wow’ moments. So how do we put LaVar in the best situation to impact the team as fast as we possibly can?”
Many other Nittany Lions are in new career positions. Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, for instance, now has three potential seasons of eligibility remaining. And he loves Penn State.
Running back James Peoples spent two seasons as a backup at Ohio State, where he played in 22 games but carried the ball just 110 times. Peoples now has three years of eligibility, giving him an option for 2028.
“With these changes, the Cabinet has taken decisive action for the benefit of student-athletes and the system of NCAA Division I athletics,” Josh Whitman, Illinois athletics director and Cabinet chair, said in a statement. “For many student-athletes who enroll in college immediately after high school, these changes will result in the opportunity to potentially compete for an additional season in their chosen sport. For campus officials and coaches, this change provides rules that are simpler to administer and easier to predict for roster management decisions.”
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