Matt Campbell walked into a messy situation at Penn State, with nearly nine players heading to the transfer portal and James Franklin flipping some PSU commits to Virginia Tech. Finally, a bit of good news: star offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh is returning to Happy Valley next season.

Donkoh was the go-to guy at right guard for most of the year, starting nine games there, but he also slid over to right tackle for two games, including the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson. That kind of versatility is huge, and getting him back feels like a massive win for Penn State.

For most of last season, Donkoh lined up at right tackle before a knee injury cut things short. He still made his impact felt, though. PFF graded him as Penn State’s second-best lineman in the Pinstripe Bowl, and he allowed just one sack all season. As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, he started 11 games and showed he could handle both guard and tackle without missing a beat.

When he slid back into the role in September, Donkoh even admitted that playing guard is a whole different grind.

“Like practice in the games is a little different because of how everything is going and stuff like practice is scripted and stuff like that,” he said.

But he didn’t forget to add the part about how much he loves playing the position. “I love both. So when I was told that, I had to play both, I wasn’t upset about it. I’m still going to continue to embrace that role,” Donkoh said.

Now that he’s doing what he loves, his return gives Penn State a big boost. Under new leadership, having a proven, versatile starter like Donkoh up front brings a ton of confidence and stability to the offense.

“It is a great honor to announce that I will be staying at Penn State for the 2026 season!!! I have full confidence in Coach Campbell, Coach [Ryan] Clanton, and the rest of the staff. And I believe they will help restore Penn State’s tradition of excellence while continuing to support my growth to be the man that God has called me to be!”

That’s at least a step in the right direction since Matt Campbell arrived. Getting a proven, versatile starter like Donkoh to stay matters, no doubt. But let’s not pretend everything is suddenly smooth sailing in Happy Valley. The bigger concern is what Penn State has lost off the field. Watching key assistants walk out the door stings. And especially during a transition year when stability matters just as much as talent.

Too soon to celebrate

The Nittany Lions’ defensive foundation cracks first with the expected departure of Deion Barnes. Barnes served as Penn State’s deeply entrenched defensive line coach, but he is set to move to South Carolina as the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach. Analysts, including Pete Thamel, have confirmed the move. Barnes is a Penn State alum who played four seasons there before returning as a graduate assistant.

He has coached the D-line since 2020 and developed NFL first-round talents like Chop Robinson and Abdul Carter over the past three years. Barnes’ intimate program knowledge made him a prime retention target under Campbell. But now his exit shocks the staff amid a pivotal rebuild. But wait, it’s not over. Running backs coach Stan Drayton is also heading to South Carolina this offseason, stripping Penn State of another proven recruiter and developer.

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The 54-year-old Drayton coached Penn State’s Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen for one season after heading Temple from 2022 to 2024. He boasts an elite résumé with stints at Texas, Florida, Ohio State, and the Chicago Bears. And another blunder happened when Campbell was unable to retain DC Jim Knowles from going to Tennessee. Knowles’ insecurity got triggered when Campbell brought Jon Heacock from Iowa State to be the defensive analyst.

This move made Knowles look for other options. And Campbell, instead of having a convincing talk with Knowles, was just sitting out. And just days after Knowles left for Knoxville, disaster struck. Heacock announced his retirement.