Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
2 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Texas State, sophomore safety Omarion Davis from Boston College and redshirt sophomore cornerback Ibn McDaniels from Syracuse. One position group that is nearly de- void of former Cyclones is the defensive line. Penn State has restocked its defen- sive tackle corps with five transfers, only one of whom — redshirt sophomore Ali- jah Carnell — began his career in Ames. A pair of senior defensive tackles — Siale Taupaki and Keanu Williams — have arrived from UCLA. Both are native Cali- fornians who've spent their entire foot- ball careers on the West Coast. One of the reasons they decided to head so far from home for their final season was that UCLA defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe has joined the Nittany Lions' staff. But Campbell was part of the draw, too. "He's just very transparent," Williams said. "He's very real and is a genuine person who cares about people. A lot of people say it, and a lot of people think they do that, but you can just tell when someone is real. I can tell that he's been that way for a long time and he really means what he says. I truly appreciate Coach Campbell for allowing me to come here and giving me the opportunity to be a Nittany Lion." Another draw was the school itself. Williams had never been to Penn State before the Lions began pursuing him in the portal. When the Bruins played at Beaver Stadium in 2024, he didn't make the trip due to an injury. But after he had a chance to check out the school in person, it wasn't a hard sell. "I loved the college feel," Williams said. "I think it's a place where you can lock in on ball, but at the same time, there are a lot of other things to do. For me, I really like that I can network here. You're in the middle of all these major cities. "But also, this is all new to me. I've never been this far east, so I'm really looking forward to it, knowing I have so much to experience in such a short amount of time. I'm really excited to try and take advantage of everything I can here. "I loved it. I love the facilities. Every- thing is all new. I saw all of that. The sta- dium is second to none. I've never seen a stadium like that before. It's just a good vibe with great people and great energy around. I can't wait to see what it's like when everyone gets on campus. I'm really looking forward to it." New Resources The Nittany Lions' roster overhaul has invited skepticism just by virtue of its scope. Other prominent programs that underwent coaching changes this year have seen less attrition. Florida saw 27 players enter the portal, Kentucky 23, LSU 32, Michigan State 35 and Arkansas 38. Even Michigan, which went through the most wrenching change of all with Sherrone Moore's shocking dismissal and subsequent arrest, saw only 28 players flee, several of whom ended up returning. The only schools that had more players QUARTERBACK Name Elig.** Ht. Wt. Transferred From Rocco Becht R-Sr. 6-1 210 Iowa State Alex Manske R-Fr. 6-3 225 Iowa State RUNNING BACK Carson Hansen Sr. 6-2 220 Iowa State James Peoples Jr. 5-10 206 Ohio State WIDE RECEIVER Karon Brookins R-Fr. 6-5 200 Iowa State Brett Eskildsen Jr. 6-1 200 Iowa State Keith Jones Jr. R-So. 6-4 208 Grambling Zay Robinson R-Fr. 5-11 185 Iowa State Chase Sowell R-Sr. 6-3 210 Iowa State TIGHT END Cooper Alexander R-So. 6-4 245 Iowa State Benjamin Brahmer Sr. 6-7 255 Iowa State Gabe Burkle R-Sr. 6-6 255 Iowa State OFFENSIVE LINE Hunter Albright R-Fr. 6-5 310 Saint Francis Trevor Buhr R-Jr. 6-4 325 Iowa State Tyshon Huff R-Jr. 6-4 300 Tiffin University (D-II) Vaea Ikakoula R-Fr. 6-3 355 Iowa State Kuol Kuol II R-Fr. 6-6 290 Iowa State Brock Riker R-So. 6-4 285 Texas State Will Tompkins R-Fr. 6-5 300 Iowa State DEFENSIVE END Ikenna Ezeogu R-Sr. 6-5 285 Iowa State Alexander McPherson So. 6-6 240 Colorado DEFENSIVE TACKLE Alijah Carnell R-So. 6-5 290 Iowa State Armstrong Nnodim R-So. 6-2 290 Oklahoma State Siale Taupaki R-Sr.+ 6-2 310 UCLA Dallas Vakalahi Jr. 6-2 318 Utah Keanu Williams R-Sr. 6-5 320 UCLA LINEBACKER Caleb Bacon R-Sr. 6-4 240 Iowa State Cael Brezina Jr. 6-3 235 Iowa State Kooper Ebel Sr. 6-4 235 Iowa State John Klosterman R-Sr. 5-11 230 Iowa State Chris Fileppo So. 6-4 208 West Virginia CORNERBACK Ibn McDaniels R-So. 6-3 205 Syracuse Hunter Sowell R-Fr. 5-10 170 Iowa State SAFETY Jeremiah Cooper R-Sr. 6-0 195 Iowa State Omarion Davis So. 5-11 185 Boston College Marcus Neal Jr. Jr. 6-1 215 Iowa State Jamison Patton Sr. 6-2 210 Iowa State PUNTER Nathan Tiyce So. 6-5 230 Mississippi State PLACEKICKER Cristiano Rosa R-Sr. 5-11 206 James Madison * As of Jan. 19 | ** Denotes class standing for the 2026 season PENN STATE TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER INCOMING PLAYERS*