Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
6 A U G U S T 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 P enn State has a few more weeks be- fore it returns to the practice field ahead of the 2026 season, but the work continues in Happy Valley for Year 1 of the Matt Campbell coaching era. The second summer session kicked off on July 1, which brought the four re- maining signees from the class of 2026 — defensive end Elijah Reeder, linebacker Keian Kaiser, offensive tackle Pete Eglitis and punter Lucas Tenbrock. Beyond that, the build continues. Penn State is about two months away from its opener against Marshall, and there are still positions and roles to be sorted on the roster. We checked in with sources to get some thoughts on how guys are pro- gressing. Here are a few comments that stuck out. RB Quinton Martin Jr.: "He's got some juice." It's well understood in the building that senior Carson Hansen will be the starter in the backfield, but Martin had a strong spring while competing with Hansen and Ohio State transfer James Peoples. Coming up on his redshirt sophomore season, Martin continues to get bigger, and the new offense suits his abilities. He's able to catch the ball out of the backfield and make plays in space. While he's still learning to be a more rounded back, he seems plenty capable. His 40- yard speed is in the 4.4s, giving the Nit- tany Lions a breakaway threat we weren't sure was there. Martin finished the 2025 season on a high note in the Pinstripe Bowl and hopes to use that as a spring- board. OT Malachi Goodman: "This guy is a freak." Some of the new staff just laugh when you bring up Goodman. Iowa State had some good linemen under position coach Ryan Clanton, but players built like Goodman, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound redshirt freshman, didn't quite make it to Ames. He's slotted in at left tackle even though he didn't play a snap last season. The Nittany Lions seem comfortable with the placement. Coachable and always around the facility, Goodman has been a favorite of the new staff. We're expecting some growing pains, but his potential is off the charts. He carries his weight well and has impressed on the basketball court in downtime this summer. WR Amarion Jackson: "He will get onto the field as it stands today." Penn State's new wide receivers will undoubtedly be under the microscope in fall camp. Redshirt senior Chase Sowell and junior Brett Eskildsen missed most of the spring, making this group even more of a mystery. Beyond that pair and sophomore Koby Howard, it's still unclear how the rota- tion will fill out. Most of the reps in the spring went to redshirt freshmen Zay Robinson and Karon Brookins, but Jack- son, a January enrollee, has made some strides quickly, and he's in the conversa- tion. The 6-2, 192-pound Nebraska na- tive will push to get in the rotation when camp opens, and a source indicated he will be in line to play as a true freshman. DE Ikenna Ezeogu: "Such a better system for him." Reading the offensive transfers that came over from Iowa State is a little easier than the guys on defense. The transition from playing defensive end in a three-man front to playing on the edge of a four-man group is significant, and Penn State's staff is hoping that the change opens up new possibilities for Ezeogu. The redshirt senior continues to drop weight (down from 285 to 273), and the switch is going to allow him to be more active. Ezeogu had just 3 sacks in three sea- sons playing in Iowa State's 3-3-5, but he'll change from a glorified defensive tackle to a guy who is allowed to do more. How he'll handle the opportunity re- mains to be seen, and Penn State will still have to do some things that supplement a thin edge position, but Ezeogu could be a surprise this fall. DB Jeremiah Cooper: "He's ahead of schedule." Continuing to recover from the ACL injury that ended his 2025 season at Iowa State after just four games, Cooper didn't practice this spring. For the most part, the redshirt senior has been out of sight and out of mind. The silver lining in Cooper's injury is that it gave him the opportunity to play one more season. He was an All-Big 12 safety who moved to cornerback last fall, but he's back at his original position and in line to start when fully healthy. Cooper appears to be rounding into form this summer and should be ready to go for camp. Penn State will be care- ful with him when the pads go on, but he's itching to get back out there. His presence could push senior Jamison Pat- ton out of the starting lineup and give the Nittany Lions another experienced playmaker in the secondary, one with 8 career interceptions. ■ Redshirt sophomore Quinton Martin Jr. is viewed as the kind of running back who can give the Nittany Lions' backfield a breakaway threat. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR These Five Nittany Lions Have Impressed This Summer JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM