The Penn State Nittany Lions are already locked in as a Top 20 team, sitting at No. 18 in the annual Associated Press preseason poll, which just dropped on Monday, August 17th. This ranking comes with the 2026 season less than two weeks away, and it’s a huge moment for first-year head coach Matt Campbell as his squad also landed at No. 17 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll earlier this month.
New Coach, New Look, Same Big Ten Gauntlet
This isn’t just another preseason ranking; it’s their ninth in the past ten years, showing some real consistency. But man, does it feel different from last August! Former coach James Franklin’s team was hyped at No. 3, their highest preseason standing in 28 years, only to implode with a stunning six-game losing streak that got Franklin fired. They finished 7-6 and unranked, even with interim leader Terry Smith trying to turn things around. Campbell and his staff are prepping for a Sept. 5 season-opener against Marshall in a massive Beaver Stadium. The Big Ten is stacked, with Ohio State and Oregon at No. 1 and No. 2, and defending national champ Indiana at No. 6. Good news for Penn State, they avoid those top three in the regular season. But don’t sleep on the other Big Ten teams in the AP poll: USC at 14th, Michigan at 16th, Washington at 17th, and Iowa at 22nd. The Big Ten and SEC are dominating, with five SEC teams in the Top 10 alone!
Roster Overhaul and Big Expectations
If you want to talk about new faces, Penn State is bringing it. Senior quarterback Rocco Becht is leading an unprecedented 40 transfers overhauling this roster. More than half of those guys followed Campbell from Iowa State, including some serious offensive talent like Becht himself, running back Carson Hanson, wide receivers Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen, and Amarion Jackson, tight ends Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle, and offensive lineman Trevor Buhr. On defense, new defensive coordinator and Penn State alum D’Anton Lynn is bringing larger bodies up front, a completely remade linebacker group featuring returning All-America candidate Tony Rojas, and a deep, versatile secondary. With all this change, most predictions are still putting Penn State as a second-tier Big Ten team, for now. At least they’re healthy, even guys like all-star transfers safety Jeremiah Cooper and Gabe Burkle (who Campbell called the “best blocking tight end in the country”) are easing back into action.
The Lions kick off their season as heavy favorites against Marshall on September 5th, then head to Temple (Sept. 12) and host Buffalo (Sept. 19). The real tests hit later with a potential White Out game against USC on October 10th, and tough road games at Michigan on October 17th and at Washington on November 7th. Can Campbell’s new crew defy those second-tier predictions? We’ll find out when the season starts!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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