James Franklin’s PSU chapter looked finished when he signed with Virginia Tech as its new head coach. The transfer portal, however, has sparked an unexpected rivalry between Franklin and new Penn State coach Matt Campbell. Campbell currently appears to hold the upper hand.

Penn State is rebuilding the roster aggressively through the portal, and Matt Campbell is targeting several of his former Iowa State players. With players like quarterbacks Rocco Becht and Alex Manske, wide receiver Chase Sowell, etc., in the pocket, Penn State is having a major overhaul, while James Franklin goes through difficulty in the recruitment sector.

James Franklin now faces the sad reality that he may not land any projected Penn State starters at Virginia Tech. For now, Penn State seems to enjoy the last laugh, as they hold the No. 1-ranked portal class in the country. The program is also strengthening the coaching staff. Penn State reinstated Terry Smith as associate head coach on a four-year deal, and Matt Campbell is aiming to re-establish the Nittany Lions as a top force in the Big Ten.

The rebuild follows a disappointing Nittany Lions season that ended with a 7-6 record and a 12th-place conference finish. The PSU administration hired Campbell and assigned him a substantial budget to revamp the program. Campbell is leaning on familiar players because he understands their strengths and weaknesses and can integrate them quickly.

The list of Iowa transfers to Penn State appears to be growing larger by the day.

Major Penn State transfer portal update

The January transfer portal was always going to be chaotic, but nobody must’ve expected such a development from Penn State. While it is true that the Nitanny Lions needed a revamp, the fact that Matt Campbell brought most of his Iowa State roster was quite the spectacle.

As of now, a total of 16 players have committed to the Nitanny Lions, namely: Benjamin Brahmer, Rocco Becht, Karon Brookins, Carson Hansen, Brett Eskildsen, Will Tompkins, Gabe Burkle, Caleb Bacon, Alex Manske, Marcus Neal Jr., Kooper Ebel, Cael Brezina, Trevor Buhr, Chase Sowell, Alijah Carnell, Kuol Kuol, Jamison Patton and Hunter Sowell.

The biggest name of them all is Rocco Becht, who will likely receive leadership responsibility under Campbell. Becht helped the Cyclones finish the season with an 8-4 record and posted 2,584 passing yards with a 60.5 percent completion rate and 16 touchdowns. Another major addition is Benjamin Brahmer, whose explosiveness and versatility will greatly assist Campbell’s side. Last season, Brahmer recorded 27 receptions for 446 yards and scored six touchdowns.

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