Matt Campbell Says Help Is on the Way for Penn State’s Linebackers 

Penn State’s depleted linebacking corps is finally getting some reinforcements. Coach Matt Campbell said on Wednesday the Nittany Lions have shifted safety Marcus Neal Jr. to linebacker in time for their game Saturday against Purdue in Beaver Stadium.

Neal started at safety the first four games of the 2026 season, but the Iowa State transfer lost that spot to fellow former Cyclone Jamison Patton. Neal did not play in the secondary against USC as he has seen his time drastically dwindle as the season has worn on for the 3-4 Nittany Lions.

Neal started all 12 games in 2025 for Iowa State, with 77 tackles overall and a career-high nine vs. BYU. For Penn State, Neal ranks No. 5 in overall tackles with 22, but has had just three since Penn State got gashed 34-13 at Northwestern. His size may be a concern, at 6-foot-1 and 216 pounds, but Campbell indicated that linebacker will be Neal’s new home on a long-term basis.

“We gave ourselves a bye week to be able to get Marcus full-time there,” Campbell said. “I think Marcus is a guy who’s got the ability to help us as well. I think it allows his talent and his ability to be in a place where we can use it even more. Not only on first and second down, but multiplicity in situational football, too — again, trying to find ways to get our best players on the field. He has the ability to play nickel, and also has the ability to play across the board.

“His physicality allows him to play in the middle, but he’s also got the speed and coverage ability to be able to play on the perimeter a little bit as well. We’re excited about that move. We didn’t want to do it until we had time to really teach it. It’s been really positive for us.”

Veteran linebacker Tony Rojas has done yeoman’s duty this season, with help from Iowa State transfer Kooper Ebel. Rojas leads the team in tackles, tackles for a loss and sacks. Ebel is No. 2 in tackles and tied for second in TFLs and sacks.

Rojas and Ebel have been carrying the load, especially since linebacker Alex Tatsch was lost for the season after the Northwestern game. Cael Brezina, another Iowa State transfer, is Penn State’s only other healthy linebacker with experience and ranks fourth on the team in tackles.

Linebacker Cam Smith has also been out with an injury, but Campbell expects him back for Saturday’s game: “We didn’t feel confident [at Michigan] to put Cam in that situation. But, he was a lot closer to being ready to play. I certainly think that he’s certainly got the ability to be a big help. He had a really great week of practice. He had a great week last week. If you said MVPs of the bye week, Cam was certainly one of those guys.”

MORE FROM CAMPBELL ON:

1) Injured wide receiver Koby Howard, who has not played a Big Ten Conference game in 2026. In three games, Howard caught 12 passes for 344 yards, with two touchdowns for a 28.7-yard average.

Campbell said: “I feel the same way — really strongly that it’s questionable. We’ll see what tomorrow really looks like, and feel confident that if he is capable of playing, what’s that look like? How many reps does that look like? And if he’s not ready, I said the same thing yesterday: I’m not putting him on the football field until he’s 100% ready.”

2) Hitting the recruiting trail last week. Over the past week PSU lost two verbal commits from its 2027 class: QB Will Wood to Boston College and Bill O’Brien, and Blake Betton, a linebacker from Minnesota, to Wisconsin. Campbell did pick up a verbal commit from RB Jordan Hall, who chose Penn State over Ohio State.

Campbell said (with a smile): “For me, maybe the most enjoyable part of the past few weeks was getting out on the road. There’s the realization of the power of Penn State football…and there’s also the belief in us and our staff and what we’ve been able to accomplish — not just in our short time here, but over our long haul. There’s a lot of energy and excitement of where we are going and what we’re trying to build here.”

3) Backup QB Alex Manske’s health and versatility. Manske had offseason heart surgery, while in August PSU offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said that given Manske’s versatility it would be difficult to keep him off the field. Manske has played only one snap in Big Ten play, and PSU was whistled for a penalty.

Campbell said: “I would say he’s absolutely physically up to the task. I think the more important thing for us is with the guys that have at least earned the reps to be on the field, trying to find the best rhythm for our football team with those guys. And obviously, that doesn’t mean Alex isn’t close to being ready to help us or not practicing well. That doesn’t mean that at all. I think it’s more of full faith in what our football team can do, and trying to get them to be able to do consistently what they’re able to do to be the best that we can be.”