Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he celebration was immediate. Junior wide receiver Brett Es- kildsen had just made the best catch of Penn State's second preseason practice session on Aug. 6, hauling in a one-handed grab in seven-on-seven work. His teammates erupted. Coaches and support staff joined them. Standing on the opposite side of the field, a staffer smiled while reporters furiously took notes. Everyone, he said, would be writing about that one. He wasn't wrong. The most impressive individual play of the day on either side of the ball, Eskildsen's effort made team- mates and coaches exuberant. It was the kind of play that fuels optimism for Penn State heading into the 2026 season. Less than 24 hours into preseason camp, though, the point was hard to miss. The catch deserved the attention, but it can't stand alone as a conclusion. It was only one rep. The challenge isn't making one spec- tacular play; those plays are out there for nearly every participant at this level of college football. Rather, the challenge is making the next one, and the one af- ter that, until it's routine and expected. For a Penn State program that is aim- ing to establish consistent excellence — first on the practice field and eventu- ally on game days this fall — it was the first glimpse of what the Nittany Lions are determined to make commonplace. To get there, considerably more work remains as they navigate their newest, most crucial part of the year. Campbell breaks down every football season into blocks. Since taking over at Penn State, each has served as another step toward the 2026 season. There was his hiring, to start. The rebuilding of the roster came next, fol- lowed by winter workouts, five weeks of spring practice and eight weeks of summer conditioning. Every block led to the same destina- tion: the start of preseason camp. "He just makes sure we know how much time we have, and time's ticking. We don't have a while," redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas told BWI earlier this summer. "There's only four quar- ters in a year for the football blocks that he has. He just lets us know that we're still in the process, and we've just got to continue to stack days every day. I think that's been a good thing." There aren't a whole lot of days left until Penn State opens its season on Sept. 5 against Marshall. The Nittany Lions need to make the most of that time, and while the first two days of preseason camp were highlighted by some genuinely impressive moments, there were also some struggles. One of Eskildsen's fellow wideouts, redshirt senior Chase Sowell, found him- self on the receiving end of a well-placed pass. Unable to secure the catch — a re- play of a disappointing moment from the team's first practice session the previous day — Sowell appeared visibly frustrated. On the other side of the ball, redshirt sophomore safety Vaboue Toure found himself experiencing both ends of the spectrum. One play, blown dead, left him as the target of a scolding from safe- ties coach Deon Broomfield for letting a receiver move past him. In the same passing period, Toure earned praise from assistant coach Jordan Lucas when he broke on a pass to force a deflection. Elsewhere, true freshman corner- back Christian Askew was working on some of the finer points of playing the position. Assistant Terry Smith leaned into the opportunity to develop the young defensive back, reminding him that a mountain of reps would be com- ing his way throughout camp. And, back at receiver, sophomore Koby Howard took some construc- tive criticism for attempting to make a one-handed catch. Whether another option existed was beside the point; Penn State's coaches preferred the fundamentally sound play over the spectacular one. Through the first two practices of preseason camp, Penn State didn't need to search for encouragement. The team was constructed this offseason with confidence in its potential and depth. Individual plays have already been made and will continue every practice leading up to the start of the season on Sept. 5 when Marshall ar- rives in Beaver Stadium for the start of the Campbell era. But for Campbell and the Nittany Lions to be at their best, the highlights from the second day of preseason camp can't stand in isolation. Worthy of at- tention in the moment, the lessons de- livered throughout the time before and after Eskildsen's catch will prove just as meaningful if the Lions can generate more of them. They'll need them if their aspirations are going to become reality. The next block will determine whether plays like Eskildsen's become memorable because they were rare, or routine because Penn State made them expected. ■ Assistant coach Deon Broomfield helped lead Penn State's safeties through the first few days of preseason camp. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Nittany Lions Stack Their Building Blocks