Who Will Start at QB for Penn State Under Matt Campbell? (Roster & Portal Breakdown)

Penn State head coach Matt Campbell is working this week to secure a better understanding of his current staff and players in Happy Valley. The next few weeks will be critical for his ability to understand the culture at Penn State and give him a shot at keeping key players on the roster who he will need to have a successful 2026 football season. At the same time, there are players from his previous roster at Iowa State who could follow him to Happy Valley and make an impact next season. Where do those positions overlap from a talent and depth standpoint? Today on the BWI Live Show, we’ll discuss the Iowa State and Penn State starters who could best mesh to give the team a chance to compete in the fall next year. We’ll also cover the latest coaching moves and bowl situations on the show.

Join us at 10 a.m. on YouTube to discuss the team’s situation, along with whatever else is on your mind! We’ll be taking questions from the live chat throughout the show to discuss your thoughts and questions on today’s hour-long show. Be sure to tune in each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to get the latest intel and conversation on Penn State football from Blue White Illustrated! Subscribe now so never miss a show!

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Coaching and staff updates

Each day brings a fresh batch of news about the state of the team as Campbell takes over, and James Franklin assembles his staff in Blacksburg. We’ll give you the latest news about which coaches are leaving Happy Valley today. Two assistants are headed down to Virginia this week, and we’ll discuss the potential impact of those moves on the program.

We’ll also give you the latest confirmed information on the staff members that Campbell has brought from Iowa State and what their roles will be.

Penn State and Iowa State offensive roster comparison

For Penn State to have its best chance to compete next fall, Campbell needs to successfully blend together the talent accumulated on the Penn State roster while supplementing and filling holes on the depth chart with key players from his team at Iowa State. While the transfer portal is a third wildcard in the process, today, we’ll focus on the first two.

We’ll break down the offensive roster positions and discuss which starters could join Campbell in Happy Valley from Ames and which Penn State players are critical for him to retain. We’ll cover the quarterback comparison between Ethan Grunkemeyer and Rocco Becht and highlight a situation brewing along the offensive line for Campbell when looking at the two starting units from last season. Can he find the best combination of talent and veteran experience?

Bowl Preview

Finally, we’ll preview the Pinstripe Bowl between Penn State and Clemson to end the show. What do we know about each team so far in the process? We’ll discuss the opt-outs, point spreads, and storylines of the game to end the month.