The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Penn State football. What else is new?

Between Matt Campbell’s hiring, a 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson, and the transfer portal officially opening on Friday, many Nittany Lions have had to make tough decisions regarding their future with the program.

Despite Penn State’s transfer portal entry count nearing 30 players, Campbell and his staff have carried a lot of weight in retaining some of Happy Valley’s best and high-potential players.

Here’s a quick rundown on who’s running it back in 2026 as of Friday afternoon.

Linebackers

Perhaps Penn State’s biggest roster retention win is linebacker Tony Rojas for his senior season. The duo of Rojas and Amare Campbell at the heart of the Nittany Lions’ defense looked immensely strong to start the season before Rojas’ season-ending injury ahead of the White Out against Oregon.

Rojas was linked to a potential move to Miami as Penn State’s season winded down, enhanced more by the Hurricanes’ deep College Football Playoff push. Yet, Rojas elected to return to Happy Valley and try to play one more full season at LBU.

Alex Tatsch will also stay put for his sophomore season. He received increased playing time down the stretch as a direct result of Rojas’ injury, and his role will only grow next season with the impressive tape he put on. There will be more space in the room for Tatsch with Dom DeLuca going to the NFL Draft.

Tight Ends

Andrew Rappleyea ran away with Penn State’s TE1 spot in the second half of the season. He looked miles ahead of Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds. He capped off the season with touchdowns in back-to-back games and put the dagger into Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Rappleyea was a must-retain for Campbell’s staff and he’ll only get better. He’s also been quite involved in Penn State’s battle for roster retention.

Need all my PSU guys to stay home. Make the right call #Weare

— Andrew Rappleyea (@andrewrappleyea) December 31, 2025

Wide Receivers

Koby Howard showed flashes of excellence in his limited playing time in 2025. With a clear lack of wide receiver production from Penn State’s big three portal acquisitions at the beginning of the season, fans called for James Franklin to let Howard and Tyseer Denmark run loose a bit.

Franklin didn’t want to put Howard in due to his lackluster blocking, but Terry Smith immediately upped his reps once he took over in an effort to unlock the deep passing game. While Howard’s seven catches for 133 yards on the year aren’t mind-boggling, he’ll have a clear opportunity to move up the depth chart and truly show the talent that the coaching staff knows he has.

Howard was a must-retain for Campbell’s staff. If Smith never took over, who knows if Howard would’ve gotten any time on the field.

Cornerbacks

Freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson announced his return to Happy Valley for his sophomore season. Dixson showcased his strength at the position in the back half of the season, proving as a viable option behind A.J. Harris and Audavion Collins, who also announced his return for his senior season.

Dixson made his first career start against the Tigers in the Pinstripe Bowl, where he notched three passes defended. He looked like Penn State’s best player in the secondary and felt like a true force.

Safeties

Dejuan Lane and Vaboue Toure will also return to Penn State in the secondary. Lane made a quiet name for himself in relief and alongside Zakee Wheatley throughout the season, but Nittany Lion fans didn’t see much of Toure until the Pinstripe Bowl.

Toure appeared mostly in a special teams capacity before breaking out against Clemson with seven tackles and one sack. The redshirt freshman appeared in five games in 2024.

Running Backs

With Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton off to the NFL Draft, Penn State has two choices: completely revamp the running back room in the portal or rely on the talent that hasn’t had the chance to shine for years.

Penn State took the first step towards the latter by retaining Quinton Martin Jr., who turned heads with his 20-carry, 103-yard rushing performance against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Martin has also been a steady hand in the kick return game.

Defensive Ends

Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou will return to Penn State in 2026. Granville looked to play a key role on the Nittany Lions’ defensive front in 2025, but a long-term injury cast him aside.

Kemajou might have benefitted from Granville’s injury, seeing a solid amount of time on the field and registering five tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, and one pass defended in his true freshman season. Kemajou is one of Penn State’s high-ceiling players who can prove very valuable moving forward.

Offensive Line

Penn State’s sole returning offensive line starter is Anthony Donkoh for his redshirt junior season. He’s already played in 28 games as a Nittany Lion and is now responsible for leading the next generation of protection for whoever Penn State’s next quarterback is.

Cooper Cousins was a huge retention win for Campbell’s staff. Franklin praised him a lot before his firing. Cousins started in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Chimdy Onoh, Garrett Sexton, and Owen Aliciene all announced their returns to the program as well.

Special Teams

Have no fear, folks. Ryan Barker is back.

Barker was lights-out from field goal range in 2025, booting 18-of-19 with a long of 49 yards. He also went 44-for-45 on extra points. Barker impressed with a 48-yarder in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson.