When one college football head coach leaves a program for another, it’s very rare that they leave their mark behind. For example, Lane Kiffin brought almost every coach and a substantial number of players to Baton Rouge. Similarly, Penn State’s head coach, Matt Campbell, is following the same path: mass poaching. It starts with Rocco Becht.

The word on the street is Matt Campbell is bringing a big chunk of his old Iowa State crew with him via the transfer portal. After Campbell left Ames for Happy Valley back in December, a bunch of his star players decided to enter the transfer portal themselves. Players can do this within 30 days of a head coaching change without any hassle.

For these athletes, they often committed to play for Campbell the person, not just the school, so following him to a new, bigger program like Penn State makes a lot of sense. The biggest name making the switch is Rocco Becht, who was a three-year starting quarterback for the Cyclones.

The former Cyclones QB threw for 9,274 passing yards and chucked 64 TDs through the air. On top of that, he wasn’t afraid to run the ball himself, scoring another 19 touchdowns on the ground. All that experience is coming to State College. Popular consensus and logical reasoning say he’s expected to be the starting QB for Penn State right away.

Other players include (the majority of the players made their announcement on Sunday):

Caleb Bacon (LB)
Ben Brahmer (TE)
Cael Brezina (LB)
Trevor Buhr (OL)
Gabe Burkle (TE)
Brett Eskildsen (WR)
Carson Hansen (All-Big 10 RB)
Koul Kuol (OL)
Alex Manske (QB)
Marcus Neal (Safety)

It’s not just the players, either. Campbell is also bringing his coaching staff along for the ride. Both offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and defensive coordinator Jon Heacock are now part of the Penn State staff.

This means the Nittany Lions’ offense and defense next season might resemble the Cyclones’ playbook, which makes the transition a whole lot smoother for everyone involved.

All in all, it’s a great example of how much power the transfer portal gives coaches and players these days, allowing them to stay together even when the job changes.

At the hearing of this mass poaching, the Penn State Nittany Lions QB Ethan Grunkmeyer had already set one foot in Blacksburg to play for his former coach.

Ethan Grunkemeyer on his way to Virginia

According to 247Sports, Ethan Grunkmeyer is headed to Virginia Tech to reunite with James Franklin following Matt Campbell’s obvious master plan (bringing in Rocco Betch) coming to light. It’s a fresh start for Grunkemeyer to make a name for himself. Last season at Penn State was a bit of a rollercoaster for Grunkemeyer. He got the starting job late in the year after Drew Allar got hurt.

Things started off pretty rough for Grunkmeyer. Losing his first three games, eventually, he won his last four starts, including a solid dub over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. He threw for over 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns, completing almost 70% of his passes.

Looking ahead, this transfer is a smart move for Grunkemeyer. He’ll have a chance to play for coaches he already knows and trusts, which should help him settle in quickly at Virginia Tech. He still has three years of college eligibility left, so he has plenty of time to develop and make a real impact on the Hokies’ football program. When you look at things from a mutual perspective, it’s a win-win situation for both parties.

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