What number will Penn State punter Lucas Tenbrock wear? The pick is in for the 2026 signee

Penn State punter Lucas Tenbrock is in State College and ready to compete for a starting job as a true freshman. And now, he has his first uniform number as a Nittany Lion. The St. Charles, Ill., native and Class of 2026 signee will wear No. 96 in blue and white. He’s the first punter to wear it for the program since Mitchell Groh did so back in 2024.

Tenbrock comes to town as his class’ top punter, according to Chris Sailer Kicking. He was originally heading to Iowa State before Matt Campbell and much of his staff left Ames to take over the Penn State program back in December. A two-time DuKane Conference Specialist of the Year pick, Tenbrock also successfully converted six onside kicks while in high school. He stands 6-foot-6, 210 pounds.

 “I just think we do special teams in a really unique place in college football, and so to have the right guys that have grown up in those environments and those spaces, I think is really important,” Campbell said during his last signing day news conference at Iowa State in early December 2025.

“And obviously, Lucas has certainly done that. So, I think he’s got great ability. He’s got great potential. And he’s coming in, obviously, we’re losing a great one, and we’re going to gain a great one. And so, we’re really excited about that.” 

Tenbrock will battle Mississippi State trasnfer Nathan Tiyce for the Lions’ starting punter spot. An Australian, Tiyce averaged 39 yards over 13 punts in 2026 and was not the Bulldogs’ full-time starter for the entire season. He acquitted himself quite well, however, in nasty weather conditions during the Blue-White practice back in April.

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Penn State special teams coordinator Justin Lustig will pick between Tiyce and Tenbrock later this year. Theirs is one of the more interesting position battles to watch during preseason camp.

“Why not Penn State? Honestly, just the culture that they have here,” Tiyce said in April. “Coach Lustig’s one of the best special teams coordinator in the country. And then just learning about Matt Campbell and how good of a coach he is, like, he loves every single player. You’re not just a number. You’re part of the team. You have an important role to play, no matter what it is. And that was like one of the major factors.”