Matt Campbell’s PSU faces a major blow, as a three-star linebacker announced his departure. Besides causing a major loss, the junior linebacker, Amare Campbell, claimed that he’s being ‘undervalued’ and ‘disrespected’ by the new head coach, sparking big-time allegations against Campbell.

“I want to thank Coach Franklin, Coach Connor, and the entire strength staff at Penn State for giving me the opportunity to be a Nittany Lion,” said Amare Campbell on X. “Leaving Carolina unexpectedly, a place I truly loved, I came to Penn State and fell in love with the insane fans, the culture, and everything this place stands for. Playing in huge games here meant everything to me.

To all my brothers at Penn State: I love every single one of y’all. I’d go to war with you every time. Y’all know what it is. Unfortunately, once again, I find myself in a situation where I can’t allow myself to be undervalued. I have to do what’s best for my family, my future, and myself. With that being said, I’ll be entering my name into the transfer portal.”

He followed up with, “Decision is strictly principle, can’t allow disrespect.”

Campbell was Penn State’s high-priority transfer in 2025, under coach James Franklin. He earned the starting role as a middle linebacker and ultimately led the program with 103 tackles. He was named third-team All-Big Ten after posting 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and scoring on a fumble recovery against Rutgers.

The 6-foot, 230-pounder single-handedly led Penn State’s defense in a double-overtime loss to Oregon, where he posted 11 of his career-high 15 tackles in the first half. He also made 14 stops against Rutgers, which earned him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week award.

Despite Penn State’s rough season, Campbell stood out as one of the notable defensive stars on the roster. However, his time with the Lions came to an end with a lone season. He will be re-entering the portal with one year of eligibility left, after the coaching changes didn’t turn out well. However, his decision to go to the portal seems obvious, as the junior linebacker hinted that the coaching changes would decide his future since late November.

PSU’s coaching changes impact Amare Campbell’s exit

After spending two seasons with North Carolina, Amare Campbell joined Penn State through the spring transfer portal to join Jim Knowles’ defensive scheme. Since firing Knowles in November, Campbell has hinted that the PSU staff and defense would determine his future with the Nittany Lions.

“We have a big question about who our head coach is going to be,” Campbell said Nov. 29. “That’s a big thing for me, seeing who that guy is, seeing who [he] retains, seeing who our coordinator is. That’s what I’m looking for in the future.”

In the meantime, PSU announced Matt Campbell as its new HC, D’Anton Lynn as its new DC, and Tyson Vedit as its new LB coach, while Dan Connor, who’s been the LBs coach for the last two seasons, was still retained on the staff.

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The complete change in the defensive staff resulted in four LBs leaving the Nittany Lions for the portal, including DaKaari Nelson, Keon Wylie, Kari Jackson, and Anthony Speca, and Amare Campbell joins them as the fifth, looking for a new home for his senior season.

As a high school prospect, he had 15 offers from top schools across the country, like Maryland, Virginia, Duke, JMU, UConn, and others. It would be interesting to see which program is still going after Amare in the 2026 NCAA Transfer Portal.