No one had the idea of the Nittany Cyclones on their 2026 bingo card, but Matt Campbell made sure we have one. Since taking over at Penn State, Campbell has shaped the team in the image of his own former teams, bringing former Iowa State players to Happy Valley. Making it look less like a rebuild and more like a Big 12 version in blue and white.

Matt Campbell got 19 players from Iowa State into Penn State since the transfer portal opened on January 2nd. This reminds me of when Deion Sanders moved from Jackson State to the Colorado Buffs, taking in his top players, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Tyler Brown, and 11-13 others for stability. Now, Campbell is trying to bring the same stability and trust into Penn State.

Offensively, Penn State filled players with exceptional talent, getting Carson Hansen, Iowa State’s leading rusher, along with their top receiver, Brett Eskildsen, and tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle. Then the offensive line makes other key additions with Will Tompkins, Trevor Buhr, and Kuol Kuol II.

Offensively, game-changer Penn State’s biggest transformation comes at the quarterback position. After Drew Allar’s season-ending ankle injury kept him out of the game and Ethan Grunkemeyer’s transfer portal move, Matt Campbell needed an immediate game changer. And he got Rocco Becht from Iowa State. His resume backs Campbell’s decision, as he threw for 2,384 yards with 16 touchdowns while rushing for eight more scores last season.

Bringing back immediate stability to the chaos Penn State faced after James Franklin’s exit and a 7-6 season was Campbell’s priority. More than 20 players entered the portal, and filling up that hole with new faces and no experience would have resulted in a similar 2025 season. So, bringing familiar faces was the only option.

With that, getting instant backing at the defensive front became essential. As linebacker Amare Campbell, cornerback Kenny Woseley Jr., and defensive tackle Kaleb Artis, Campbell entered the portal from the group of four defensive starters who could have been a big help coming next season.

That’s exactly why he got familiar with new imports. Penn State’s star LB Tony Rojas returns to the team, while former Iowa State standouts Kooper Ebel and Caleb Bacon came in, strengthening their backers group. Their secondary got an immediate boost after All-Big 12 safety Marcus Neal Jr. joined the team with a promise to contribute immediately.

Now, with Iowa State’s players bringing stability to Matt Campbell’s Penn State, even coaching hires follow the same momentum.

Matt Campbell makes Iowa-Penn State blend staff additions

Matt Campbell is not just making his roster a complete replica of Iowa State but also bringing back similar faces on the staff while retaining Penn State coaches. Former Nittany Lions linebacker Dan Connor returns to the defensive staff to serve as backers coach under run game coordinator Tyson Veidt.

He is a two-time All-American and the school’s all-time leading tackler with 419 stops. Connor was part of the team last season and now enters his fifth year on staff after joining in 2022. Connor played six seasons in the NFL and won the Bednarik Award in 2007 as the nation’s top defensive player. Now, you know why Campbell retained him.

With Connor even, former interim coach Terry Smith resumes his role as cornerbacks coach, while Taylor Mouser arrives as offensive coordinator and tight end coach following an impressive run at Iowa State. Under him, the Cyclones broke the school record for total offense (444.3) and had the third-best scoring offense (32.2) in school history in 2019.

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With him, even offensive line coach Ryan Clanton joins Matt Campbell from Iowa State. Clanton guided a line that boosted the Cyclones’ run game by more than 50% in yards per game from 2023 to 2025. Even wide receivers coach Noah Pauley comes in with Football Scoops’ 2024 national receivers coach of the year honor at Penn State.

Now, let’s wait and see how Matt Campbell makes use of these talented staff to bring back Penn State’s national relevance.