Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
1 0 S E P T E M B E R 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 T he rebuild of Penn State's football roster was admittedly challenging. With new head coach Matt Camp- bell accepting the position in December, his staff needed to immediately evaluate the Nittany Lions' personnel, identify likely additions from Iowa State, and formulate a plan for the January transfer portal. Those necessities created a com- plex puzzle, and payroll considerations added another layer. Throw in the po- tential for a future change to college athletics' eligibility rules — the NCAA's eventual adoption of a "five-for-five" model — and the first months on the job for general manager Derek Hoodjer were even more complicated. But as Penn State and other schools around the country adjust to a signifi- cant change in eligibility standards, Hoodjer offered an assurance in a July interview with BWI that the work to build the Nittany Lions' roster ac- counted for that possibility. "We've known the five- for-five thing [was com- ing]," Hoodjer said. "I think there have been conversa- tions behind the scenes for a while, that it may be coming down at some point. Cer- tainly, guys that were true seniors in the old language, four-for-four guys, you knew there would be a possibility that they could have a fifth year." Hoodjer's comments reflect a phi- losophy shared throughout Penn State's football program under Campbell's leadership. In the initial evaluation of the Nittany Lions' roster, Campbell emphasized the need to prioritize class balance and long-term development. "That's one thing we were pretty proud of in the completion of the cur- rent roster — we didn't just sell out for all seniors," the first-year head coach said. "If you look at it, there's pretty good class disparity. I do think we have a good senior class, which is awesome. But I felt like we were able to clearly define to ev- ery player who was coming into our pro- gram where they were, where they're at, and then where's their top-end ability to put a finishing touch on their career here at Penn State? I think we've tried to be really diligent in that and not just take a group of all seniors." The NCAA's five-for-five model has been challenged in court, but the Division I Board of Directors said on July 23 that it has no plans to delay the implementation of the new rules, un- der which an athlete's eligibility clock will begin ticking when he or she enrolls full-time or at the start of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Penn State's 2026 football roster lists five players with true senior status who are set to receive an extra year of eligi- bility if they want it. Several of those NEWS & NOTES Penn State Was Prepared For New NCAA Eligibility Model N A T E B A U E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Penn State general manager Derek Hoodjer, shown here with safeties coach Deon Broomfield (left), said the Nittany Lions had been expecting the NCAA's "five-for-five" model to be implemented and planned their roster accordingly. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER