James Franklin made it clear after Penn State’s spring game that he was looking for help at linebacker. And on Tuesday, Franklin received a major reinforcement in former North Carolina linebacker Amare Campbell, who has committed to transfer to the Nittany Lions, ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported and Campbell later confirmed.
The 6-foot, 230-pound Campbell tallied 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in just his second season with the Tar Heels in 2024. He’s immediately ready to contribute and has the potential for improvement, hence why he was rated the nation’s top available transfer by 247Sports prior to his Penn State commitment.
Campbell made his decision after visiting the Nittany Lions on Monday. He also made a stop at SMU before touring State College.
Campbell immediately becomes a prominent presence within a linebacker room thin on depth. Tony Rojas and Dominic DeLuca are each set to return to the starting lineup, but behind on the depth chart is where question marks emerge. Campbell should provide an answer to some of the concerns Franklin had during spring practice.
“I think we got enough in the room, but to get through an entire season, if we get some injuries, it could get challenging,” Franklin said after the Blue-White Game on April 26.
These challenges emerged primarily after the departure of Ta’Mere Robinson, who transferred to USC in April. Robinson was a linebacker that Franklin said he “didn’t anticipate losing.” After starting middle linebacker Kobe King’s NFL dissent, Robinson was a top candidate to earn a boost in playing time alongside Anthony Speca, Keon Wylie and DaKaari Nelson.
Speca impressed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles throughout the spring while Nelson dealt with an injury that hindered his availability. Rojas, too, missed the entirety of spring practice with an injury. By the end of April, there were just six scholarship linebackers actively participating in practice.
DeLuca is set to exhaust his eligibility by season’s end and Rojas will become eligible for the NFL draft, making Campbell’s addition all the more essential. He should compete for a starting spot this season, which will likely see Knowles base out of a 4-2-5 defense, and will almost certainly be in the mix for an even more prominent role in 2026.
