Cyclone Warning in State College: No. 18 Penn State Ready for Fresh Start Under Matt Campbell
New coach Matt Campbell leads a revamped Penn State squad into the preseason AP Top 25, aiming to overcome last season's 7-6 disappointment.
- Penn State enters the 2026 season ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 after finishing 2025 with a 7-6 record, marking the fourth consecutive year the Nittany Lions open ranked.
- Former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was hired in December to rebuild after longtime coach James Franklin was fired in October following losses to UCLA and Northwestern.
- Fifty players opted to stay, including star linebacker Tony Rojas, while Campbell utilized the transfer portal to add proven transfers like quarterback Rocco Becht and running back James Peoples.
- Anthony Donkoh returns up front to protect quarterbacks, while coaches bank on returning sophomore Yvan Kemajou and Max Granville to solidify the defensive line.
- With kickoff against Marshall less than three weeks away, Penn State is past the halfway point of fall camp facing a schedule that appears light and lacks Big Ten heavyweights.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Associated Press News
Cyclone warning in State College: No. 18 Penn State ready for fresh start under Matt Campbell
Penn State's 2025 season ended with a four-game winning streak including a victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Where Is Penn State Ranked in Initial AP Top 25?
Penn State will begin its season ranked for the fourth consecutive year and ninth time in the last decade. The Nittany Lions on Monday afternoon landed at No. 18 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, one slot lower than their ranking in the preseason coaches poll, to start the Matt Campbell era. Campbell's Iowa State squad was ranked No. 22 in the preseason last year, as well as No. 7 in 2021, No. 23 in 2020 and No. 21 in 2019. Penn State is one of e…
Ranking: Where Penn State Landed in 1st AP Poll
The first AP Poll of the 2026 college football season is in, and Penn State landed with a top 20 ranking. Specifically, Penn State is No. 18, which is sixth amongst Big Ten schools. Penn State has the good fortune of avoiding No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon and No. 6 Indiana on its schedule. But PSU also has the misfortune of having to play No. 14 USC, No. 16 Michigan and No. 17 Washington all within a four-game window, with the Michigan and Wash…
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