Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
4 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 6 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / sophomore, supplying the Cyclones with a quick-strike capability that helped keep defenses honest. Eskildsen ranked second in the Big 12 and 24th nationally with an average of 17.5 yards per catch, and his penchant for thunderclap moments was never more evident than on the first play of Iowa State's matchup with No. 11 BYU last fall. The Cyclones chose to open with a deep shot, and quarterback Rocco Becht — another future Nittany Lion — hit Es- kildsen in stride at the Cougars' 40-yard line. BYU clearly wasn't prepared for such an aggressive gambit five seconds into the game, and the safety who gave chase had no hope of catching up to Iowa State's speedy sophomore. Eskildsen was slowed this offseason by a shoulder injury that required surgery in December. He missed much of spring practice, but toward the end of the off- season drills he said, "I feel great. I feel better than ever, and I'll be ready to go come fall camp." Sowell was banged up, too, as was Becht, and the Iowa State imports haven't been able to get the kind of reps they might have liked, given that they're ac- climating to a new program and confer- ence. There's also a new receivers coach overseeing the room, with Kashif Moore having arrived from Connecticut (by way of Colorado State) after Pauley was hired by the Green Bay Packers in February. Because of their injuries, Sowell and Eskildsen didn't have much of an oppor- tunity to show their new position coach what they'll bring to Penn State's offense this fall. But when he checked out their Iowa State film, Moore liked what he was seeing. "You saw big-play ability," he said. "You saw explosive playmaking in the Big 12 that I think will translate to this level. Those guys can play ball, and I'm excited to coach them up and see them take their games to the next level." ■ 2025 vs. 2026: Stock Up Or Down? Of the three transfer wide receivers Penn State brought in last year, only one really worked out as hoped. Trebor Peña led the team with 49 catches for 552 yards and 2 touchdowns, and even those numbers paled in comparison to what outgoing transfer Harrison Wallace III did at Ole Miss last year (61 catches, 934 yards, 4 TDs). The Lions have increased their odds of striking portal gold in 2026 by bringing in five transfers, four of whom played for head coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State. Two former Cyclones — redshirt se- nior Chase Sowell and junior Brett Eskildsen — are set to start for their new team after combining to make 62 catches for 1,026 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. You'd like to think the receivers' stock is trending up after a sea- son in which PSU finished 13th in the Big Ten with an average of 187.6 passing yards per game. But the Lions' recent history has led to some understandable skepticism. Ever since Jahan Dotson left after the 2021 season, this has been a stock you'd probably want to short. X-Factor Is Sowell ready to be the difference-maker he's hinted he can be? He led the Iowa State offense with 57 first-read targets last season, making him the unquestioned top receiver. Penn State is going to be running a progression-based passing offense, and wherever the quarterback looks first on a given play is where the first read lives. The caveat is that Sowell dropped 6 of his first-read targets and caught just 54 percent of his opportunities in those situations. While he averaged 15.8 yards per reception, he needs to play with more consistency. Freshman Outlook Half of the players in Penn State's scholarship receiver corps will have freshman eligibility this fall, so somebody is likely going to need to step forward, if only to supply depth. Amarion Jackson earned praise from the coaching staff this spring. An exceptional two-way player at Millard South High in Omaha, Neb., he had been recruited as a safety but was moved to receiver on a trial basis and impressed Matt Campbell. Said the Lions' head coach, "I don't know if there's been a true freshman who's had a bigger spring than he has." The other two freshmen who could figure in the rotation are Iowa State transfers Karon Brookins and Zay Robinson. Both red- shirted with the Cyclones last fall, although Robinson saw action in three games, with 1 catch for no yards versus Oklahoma State. Amarion Jackson was cited by the coaching staff as a potential contributor as a true freshman this fall. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS