Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
3 4 D E C 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 P enn State has reached the final stages of its 2026 season. At 5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play heading into games against Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland, the Nittany Lions are not where anyone expected them to be at this point in Matt Campbell's debut campaign. They'd been ranked 18th in the preseason Associated Press poll, a place- ment that tracked with the consensus of BWI's staff, with five of our six writers calling for a 9-3 finish. There have been problems on both sides of the ball. On offense, the passing attack has not been consistent enough to make up for a mostly lackluster ground game. On defense, a unit that had looked like it would be, if not elite, then at least solid and durable has turned out to be more porous than expected. Injuries to key players have contributed to the Lions' struggles. Penn State lost two of its best players — redshirt sopho- more defensive end Max Granville and sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard — before the Big Ten season even began. Granville is out for the year, while How- ard missed the Lions' first six conference games. Other injuries have hampered PSU at various positions, but the Nittany Lions' struggles aren't solely a byproduct of bad luck. There have also been a number of instances in which players who were ex- pected to occupy key roles haven't taken the next step in their development. To understand why Penn State has struggled this year, we need to look at the players who have more work ahead. Time is running out on the 2026 season, but many of these players could be back next year, so their continued growth will be a high priority for the staff going forward. OFFENSE Malachi Goodman | OT Goodman is in a very tough spot. The reality of the offense, and what it needs from him, is why he's on this list. As a pass protector, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound red- GROWING PAINS Player development was at the root of Penn State's midseason swoon T H O M A S F R A N K CA R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Malachi Goodman has shown promise in pass protection, but his struggles in run blocking have contributed to Penn State's difficulties establishing a consistent ground game. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT