The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 127 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Penn State made the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024 and entered last season ranked No. 2 in the Associ- ated Press poll. With a third-year start- ing quarterback in Drew Allar and a roster full of elite talent that came back for one last ride (the donors went all out to retain them), it was the year the Nittany Lions were finally expected to seriously chal- lenge for a national championship under James Franklin. P SU d i d n 't j u s t disappoint in 2025, but the bottom fell out completely. Los- ing to Oregon in dou- ble-overtime in late September was frus- trating but not sur- prising. The shocking part was what came next — embarrassing losses to UCLA and Northwestern, lead- ing to Franklin's mid- season firing. M a t t C a m p b e l l wasn't PSU's first choice as the next head coach, but he was an excellent one. The 46-year-old Massillon, Ohio, native is the winningest coach in Iowa State history, taking the Cy- clones to seven bowl games in 10 years and finishing top 15 two different seasons at a place that had never ended up that high before he arrived. This offseason, PSU added 39 transfers, including 24 from Iowa State. That's a lot of new blood, but many of those players know the expectations for a Campbell- coached team, and his talent and character evaluations clearly worked well in Ames. This team has a chance to make the Col- lege Football Playoff because of that and an easy schedule. The Nittany Lions will avoid Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. Experience at quarterback doesn't hurt, either. Redshirt senior Rocco Becht came in from Iowa State, where he started 39 consecutive contests and ranked top three in program history in passing touch- downs (64; second), 300-plus yard pass- ing games (six; second), completions (714; third) and passing yards (9,274; third). Last season, the 6-foot-1, 209-pounder completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns with 9 interceptions, adding 8 scores on the ground. PSU will be tight end-heavy, similar to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, whose offensive coordinator, Nathan Scheel- haase, once worked for Campbell. Of- fensive coordinator Taylor Mouser is also the Nittany Lions' tight ends coach, and he has two studs in his position group in redshirt junior An- drew Rappleyea, who c a u g h t 2 0 p a s s e s for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns last sea- son, and senior Iowa State transfer Ben- jamin Brahmer, who made 37 receptions for 446 yards and 6 scores in 2025. There's inexperi- ence on the offensive l i n e , a n d r u n n i n g backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Single- ton are off to the NFL, but running the football behind heavy formations will be a staple. Campbell poached defensive coordina- tor D'Anton Lynn from USC, a big hire. The Trojans weren't elite on his side of the ball the past two seasons, but it was a big step up from what they had been under head coach Lincoln Riley, ending up 49th nationally in total defense in 2025. Redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas will be back on defense after suffering a torn ACL in September. He was honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2024. The defense also features junior safety Marcus Neal Jr., an Iowa State transfer who compiled 77 tackles, including 11 for loss, with 3 pass breakups, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble in 2025. He will lead a secondary that's expected to be very strong. The big question for the defense is how well the Nittany Lions will be able to get after the passer. They've had great edge rusher talent over the years, but lost both starters in Dani Dennis-Sutton (fourth round) and Zuriah Fisher (transfer to USC) this offseason. ❑ Penn State Has A Total Reset Under Matt Campbell Penn State redshirt junior tight end Andrew Rappleyea was once committed to Michigan in the 2023 class. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 MARSHALL — Sept. 12 at Temple — Sept. 19 BUFFALO — Sept. 26 WISCONSIN — Oct. 2 at Northwestern L, 22-21 Oct. 10 USC — Oct. 17 at Michigan — Oct. 31 PURDUE — Nov. 7 at Washington — Nov. 14 MINNESOTA — Nov. 21 RUTGERS W, 40-36 Nov. 28 at Maryland — REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • HC Matt Campbell was a great hire • Easy schedule • Run game, tight ends, secondary Campbell doesn't have the best roster he'll possess in State College, but there's enough talent and a favorable schedule that could result in a CFP bid. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Youth and inexperience on OL • Pass-rush question marks • Team chemistry may take time There are a lot of new elements at Penn State, leaving big unknowns as to how the team will mesh together and how long it will take. GAME 6 • PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS • OCT. 17 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 17-10 First Meeting: U-M 21, PSU 13 (Oct. 16, 1993 in State College, Pa.) Last Meeting: U-M 24, PSU 15 (Nov. 11, 2023 in State College, Pa.) Head Coach: Matt Campbell, 0-0 at PSU (1st year), 107-70 overall (16th full year) 2025 In Review: 7-6 overall, 3-6 Big Ten Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 5 (2 offense, 2 de- fense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 (Pinstripe Bowl vs. Clemson, W 22-10) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: None Rushing: Quinton Martin Jr. (103 yards) Receiving: Andrew Rappleyea (180 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: Audavion Collins (47) Sacks: Tony Rojas (2) Interceptions: Jahmir Joseph (1)