Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
4 8 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 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Kashif Moore: Moore was the final addi- tion to Penn State's position-coaching staff, joining the Nittany Lions in February after former Iowa State receivers coach Noah Pauley accepted a position with the Green Bay Packers. The Nittany Lions hired him away from Colorado State, where he had been set to begin his first season in 2026. He previously was part of head coach Jim Mora's staff at Connecticut. When Colo- rado State hired Mora in December, Moore chose to join him as part of the Rams' new staff, but his stay in Fort Collins was brief. A Burlington, N.J., native and former UConn team captain, Moore played col- legiately from 2008-11. He finished his ca- reer with 126 catches for 1,699 yards and 13 touchdowns. After a short tenure in the NFL as an undrafted free agent, he started his coaching career at Conard High in Con- necticut in 2019. His first college job was with Wesleyan University in 2020, where he worked with the wideouts, followed by one-year stints as running backs coach at Cornell and Albany. Moore returned to his alma mater in 2023, where he remained until leaving for Colorado State following the 2025 regular season. During his tenure at UConn, Moore oversaw the development of Skyler Bell, a Biletnikoff Award finalist and the first consensus All-American in program history following a redshirt senior season in which he caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. Aside from his tenure at Colorado State, Moore has spent his entire coaching career in the Northeast. He has ties not just to New Jersey but also to the nearby states that Penn State considers its natural re- cruiting territory. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS KOBY HOWARD So. | 5-11 | 203 • Finished his freshman season with 7 catches on 9 targets for 133 yards over 198 snaps. • Caught 18 passes for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns before an injury ended his senior season at Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, Fla. • Hauled in 65 passes for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. • A three-star prospect according to On3, Howard was the nation's No. 151 re- ceiver and No. 117 player in Florida in the 2024 class. PETER GONZALEZ R-So. | 6-2 | 211 • Has been slowed by injuries and did not see action for the Nittany Lions in his first two years on campus. • Holds Pittsburgh Central Catholic's re- cord for career receiving yards (2,240), along with single-season marks for receiving yards (1,081) and touchdown catches (12). LYRICK SAMUEL R-Fr. | 6-4 | 183 • Did not see action as a true freshman at Penn State last fall. • Was hindered by injuries as a senior at Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn, N.Y., but caught 27 passes for 693 yards and 11 touchdowns his junior year. • Was a three-star prospect according to On3, as well as the nation's No. 61 re- ceiver and No. 2 player in New York. NEWCOMERS KARON BROOKINS R-Fr. | 6-5 | 205 • Comes to Penn State after redshirting as a true freshman at Iowa State. • Hails from Pennsauken, N.J., and was a three-star recruit coming out of Timber Creek High. • Caught 46 passes for 779 yards and 9 touchdowns during his high school career. BRETT ESKILDSEN Jr. | 6-1 | 198 • Transferred to Penn State from Iowa State, where he caught 30 passes for a team-high 526 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025. • Received honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition despite playing in only seven games. • Was a three-star recruit coming out of Centennial High in Frisco, Texas. • Finished his prep career with 1,590 re- ceiving yards and 16 total touchdowns despite missing nearly all of his senior season due to an injury. One of only three wideouts who opted to return to Penn State in 2026, Koby Howard caught 7 passes for 133 yards as a true freshman. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS