Well, folks, the coaching search may be over, with Penn State hiring Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, but the offseason has just begun. After signing just two players in the class of 2026, Campbell will have to look to the transfer portal to complete the roster before next season.

Thankfully, the 2025 Iowa State team was talented and had a lot of players who could help the new Nittany Lion head coach in his next endeavor. Here are five Cyclone players Penn State should go after in the transfer portal.

Rocco Becht: Quarterback

Look, Ethan Grunkemeyer has been excellent for Penn State over the past six games, but he remains unproven in a pro-style offense like Campbell’s. Rocco Becht, on the other hand, has been learning and growing with the playbook for the past four seasons.

The Wesley Chapel, Florida, native has been the starter in Ames, Iowa, for the past three seasons, throwing for 9,274 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions on 1,177 attempts with a 60.7% completion rate.

Becht had his best season in 2024 when he threw for over 3,500 yards and was rewarded with Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors. Heading into the 2025 season, the quarterback was expected to take a huge leap and be one of the best in the Big 12, if not the country, but failed to do so.

If Campbell can pull Becht to Happy Valley, the resources may be just what he needs to take the next step in development. It would be his final season of eligibility.

Carson Hansen: Running Back

Penn State football will lose two excellent running backs in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton this offseason. Iowa State running back Carson Hansen could be the person to fill the hole in that position for the Nittany Lions in 2026.

Hansen had an excellent season in 2025, running for 950 yards and 6 touchdowns, and getting another 134 yards through the air. The junior was named to the second-team All-Big 12.

Campbell will have to take a strong look at his running back room during his short time in Happy Valley, though. He does have talented younger players in Cam Wallace, Tikey Hayes, and Corey Smith waiting in the wings already.

Will Hawthorne: Linebacker

Penn State’s linebacker room is another area that is going to be depleted heading into the 2026 season. Even if Tony Rojas and Amare Campbell stay, the room was too light this season, and it caused the Nittany Lions issues once injuries began.

Will Hawthorne is an untested college player but was Iowa State’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 cycle. The true-freshman will have all four years of his eligibility remaining and the perfect setup to reach his potential at linebacker university.

In high school, Hawthorne finished his career with 177 tackles and 28.5 TFL. He also played running back and was a large reason his school went from just one win in his freshman and sophomore seasons to a 9-2 record in his senior year.

Marcus Neal Jr.: Defensive Back

Marcus Neal Jr. is another highly ranked recruit that Campbell could bring with him to Happy Valley. The Sophomore was the Cyclones’ best player in the 2024 recruiting class and has proven so on the field in his first two seasons.

In his freshman year, the safety played in 13 games for Iowa State, recording 18 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. He improved a lot in 2025, bringing in 77 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, one fumble return, and two interceptions.

With Zakee Wheatley gone next season, the Nittany Lions have a significant hole at safety that could be filled with the talented Cyclone.

Trevor Buhr: Offensive Line

Not only did Campbell make the jump from Iowa State to Penn State, but its offensive line coach, Ryan Clayton, is also expected to join the Nittany Lions, per Chris Williams. With both coaches in Happy Valley, a lot of the offensive line will likely rethink their future.

Trevor Buhr is one of these players and would be a huge grab for a Nittany Lions team that could lose most of its starting offensive linemen this season. The Washington, Missouri, native played in 13 games during the 2024 season, starting in six of them.

This year, while dealing with an apparent illness, he still played in eight of the Cyclones’ games. Burh