Matt Campbell did not come alone to Penn State. Along with bringing a lot of Iowa State assistants, the now PSU head coach also arrived with a battalion of 24 former ISU players. However, the players had to navigate the tricky transfer portal in their journey, which exposed them to poaching tactics from other interested programs. 

“I didn’t know how to put a do-not-contact tag on (in the portal),” Penn State tight end Gabe Burkle said. “I got in the portal, and there were calls, right from the answer point, they would ask me if I was going to Penn State. I would say, ‘Yeah, thanks for the interest,’ and then hang up. No conversation went longer than a minute, and I didn’t need to lead them on…I knew where I was going.”

The familiarity aspect is not strong enough for players to remain with certain coaches, given how persuasive rival programs can be in the transfer portal. And, not many can deny the lucrative offers made by these programs. How Penn State fares in Campbell’s leadership will not be proven until the season. Moreover, Iowa State became an easy target for programs looking for targets in the portal. The 24 players are part of 55 who transferred out of ISU to other programs.

These attempts could take a massive toll on Penn State, whose roster was ransacked by rivals in the portal; former head coach James Franklin himself raided the team when he joined Virginia Tech. Matt Campbell needed the familiarity card to work, especially because this is his first season. He is tasked with improving the 7-6 record this season, which will not be an easy challenge. This is not only a new team, but a new conference, where the stakes are higher. Penn State had the potential to clinch the National Championship last year; that’s how high the bar is set for Campbell.

He needed players with whom he could click instantly. Much to his relief, there seems to be no problem on that front in Happy Valley.

The transition from Iowa State to Penn State was both ‘hectic’ and ‘smooth’

Like Campbell, the change has been huge for the players too, who took a huge risk to transfer to an environment they weren’t too experienced with. However, it seems like the transition went smoothly for these new Penn State players.

“I would say the first couple of weeks was a little bit awkward with everybody kind of coming in at once,” Becht told The Daily Collegian. “It was 50/50 transfers, 50/50 Penn State guys. And that takes some time. You got to build relationships. You got to get to know people.”

“It’s been hectic,” WR Brett Eskildsen told Centre Daily Times. “I had no idea where I’d be in two months [from transferring]. But I can honestly say being at Penn State now has been so smooth; the transition has been unbelievable. I never thought it could go this well…In two months, I’m already comfortable, hitting my stride, got my process down here. I’m honestly really grateful for how it all came together.”

Having joined Matt Campbell at Penn State, these new Nittany Lions are also staring at a golden opportunity to bolster their resumes. Now, getting to put on the blue and white, they will be getting some major attention from people who can benefit their careers. And since these new transfers have acclimatised well to the program, a Matt Campbell-led Penn State will be an interesting storyline to watch.