Walking into James Franklin’s shoes, Matt Campbell will make changes in schemes and placements, but the offseason calls for something important. During Franklin’s era, the Nittany Lions’ practice slot fell during a time that Campbell is not comfortable with. It’s the same time slot for which, back at Iowa State, Campbell had to pay a significant price. 

“When we were in COVID at Iowa State, everything went online at Iowa State, I just felt like there was so much going on, that the best thing that we could give our players was us to start the day,” said Campbell when asked about why the new head coach prefers morning workouts at Penn State. “I think it gives our young men a start to their day, which is huge. It gives them breakfast, lunch after practice, and gives us a chance to reconnect with them at dinner, so I can get their meals and how they eat.”

Franklin believed that afternoon practices worked best for Penn State. Primarily, it might have been preferred since afternoon practices allowed players to not skip their morning classes. At the same time, by playing in the afternoon, the body clock of the players is aligned with the actual kickoff time. 

But Campbell had tested the timeslot, and it failed in Iowa State, after they shifted to afternoon workouts months after trying the morning slot during the COVID pandemic. And Campbell accepted that it was a mistake on his part. 

“So, we went back to normal in ’21, and I went back to afternoon practice. We slipped academically, and we slipped with our production, and it was a major mistake on my end,” said Campbell during Penn State’s spring football press conference. 

Iowa State kept it strategic: afternoons in the spring, early grind in the fall, and the results spoke loudly. The classroom numbers stayed elite with a 3.4 GPA across the last three fall semesters. But at Penn State, Campbell is going to stick to the morning practice only, as it passed the trial before the fall. 

“I’m really excited to continue that. I think already our guys have come up and said, ‘Man, I really love this morning block.’ We did it this spring just to make sure we could work out the kinks for the fall,” said the head coach. 

How is morning practice better for players? Getting work done first thing after waking up builds discipline. Players tend to be more locked in and consistent with routines. Starting the day as a unit has a unique impact. The squad eats together, trains together, and resets together.

It also comes with a lower risk of injury. Campbell’s players will hit the gridiron with a fresh mind in the morning after a full night of rest. Their bodies will be less fatigued, promoting cleaner movement. Like Penn State, Ohio State, too, started its spring practice on Tuesday, March 17, at 8:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, why is Campbell walking on eggshells, taking up Franklin’s place, and demolishing the traditions?

Matt Campbell is not rushing into things at Penn State

First things first, the initial months in Happy Valley have been chaotic for Campbell. He used the word “whirlwind” thrice to describe what the first six weeks as the Penn State football coach felt like. He had to construct a staff roster, retain the players, and then came the transfer portal. So, for the spring practice, their theme is “slow and right,” which he stressed five times during the spring interview on March 24. He is taking it slow for a reason. 

Penn State is in full reset mode, going through a culture reboot and roster shake-up at the same time. With 55 new faces walking in and 52 returning players, the program is now trying to find the middle ground, blending fresh energy and old DNA. Even though for Campbell, the task got easier with 24 players following him from Iowa State, the pressure is also soaring to prove himself.

“I think that is a challenge because you have more of a budget than you had to work with at Iowa State,” warned analyst Allen Trieu.

Last season, Iowa State only had $7.5 million in its NIL reserve. That small NIL reserve cost Campbell dearly last season when he lost Jett Thomalla to Alabama, a program that flexed $15.9 million in NIL funds. According to the reports, Penn State spent $18.4 million in NIL during fiscal year 2025. 

With all the support systems already locked in, Matt Campbell isn’t wasting any time in setting the tone. By choosing morning reps, he’s aiming to maximize the output of his squad.