Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell and junior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins were named to Allstate’s 2026 AFCA Good Works Team nominee list, the American Football Coaches Association announced Monday.

The Good Works Team was established in 1992 and is regarded as one of the sport’s most meaningful honors.

Serving others & making a difference

Congratulations to @Cousins_Cooper and Coach Campbell, who have been named 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominees. pic.twitter.com/7e3m6e8qhN

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) July 20, 2026

The 2026 team, consisting of 22 student-athletes and one honorary head coach, is selected by a panel of former Good Works Team members, coaches, journalists, and others connected to the award based on the depth of their service, leadership, academic achievement, and measurable community impact.

When the full team is announced in September, one of the student-athlete nominees will be appointed team captain and receive the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. Former Penn State center Nick Dawkins was a recipient of the 2024 Wuerffel Trophy.

Penn State is one of just two FBS programs to have both a student-athlete and a head coach in this year’s nominee class.

Specifically, Cousins does service work with Team IMPACT, a national organization that connects children facing serious illness with college athletic programs. Cousins was paired with 10-year-old Gannon Kupko Jr. of York County, Pennsylvania, in September 2024.

Since then, Kupko has become a frequent visitor to the program, seeking out Cousins first at practices, games, and team events. On top of that, Cousins represented Team IMPACT nationally at the 2025 Game Day Gala, speaking in front of more than 1,000 supporters at an event that raised over $3.3 million.

As for Campbell, service is a cornerstone of his leadership style, dating back to his time at Toledo and Iowa State, and his commitment to that has held true throughout his short time in Happy Valley. During 2026’s THON Weekend, Campbell participated in the THON Explorers event at the Lasch Football Building, hosting Four Diamonds families inside the program’s facility.

He also pledged to double a donation made by a few of his players who decided to pool NIL money in support of the 46-hour dance marathon benefiting Four Diamonds.

Additionally, when tasked with assimilating a mixed-bag roster back in the winter, he created a community service-based model with smaller cross-position groups. These players now engage with the community by packing lunches weekly for children in need across Centre County and visiting local elementary schools to read to students and perform in talent shows.