Last updated Jan. 8
Penn State is expected to be one of the most active transfer portal teams in the country this offseason, both through arrivals and departures.
The Nittany Lions are in need of an influx of talent after losing a lengthy list of players in recent days, and head coach Matt Campbell and Co. have gotten busy recruiting. A plethora of former Iowa State players have scheduled visits to Happy Valley, with some already receiving predictions to land at Penn State.
Here’s an updated list of the Nittany Lions’ 2026 portal commitments.
Defensive tackle Dallas Vakalahi (added 1/8): Penn State’s new defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe secured another win on the recruiting trail, landing a commitment from Vakalahi, who spent the previous two seasons at Utah totaling 27 tackles and two sacks. Vakalahi, a former three-star prospect, is listed at 6-foot-2, 318 pounds and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Offensive lineman Hunter Albright (added 1/8): The Nittany Lions got on the board again with a transfer commitment from Hunter Albright, who will be a preferred walk-on. Albright spent last season at Saint Francis where he saw no playing time as a true freshman. Albright is a native of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, and was listed at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds last season, continuing Penn State’s trend of bringing in big bodies in the trenches.
Running back James Peoples (added 1/6): Former Ohio State running back James Peoples pledged to the Nittany Lions, becoming the 24th portal addition in the last few days, and bringing some proven Big Ten production to Happy Valley. While Peoples was never the primary back, he saw meaningful playing time each of the last two seasons, totaling 110 carries for 541 yards and five touchdowns. He showcased his versatility as a pass-catcher with 10 receptions for 50 yards in 2025. Against Penn State, Peoples saw four carries for 19 yards.
Defensive end Armstrong Nnodim (added 1/6): Originally a three-star recruit out of Texas, Nnodim spent the last two seasons with Oklahoma State, including one redshirt year. Last season, he totaled 11 tackles and one sack, with two tackles coming against Campbell’s Iowa State squad.
Defensive end Alexander McPherson (added 1/6): After an impressive true freshman season at Colorado, McPherson is headed to Penn State. The edge rusher played a rotational role, totaling 15 tackles and half a sack, including four tackles in a win over the Cyclones.
Offensive lineman Vaea Ikakoula (added 1/6): Ikakoula saw limited action during his lone season at Iowa State, earning snaps at right guard in nonconference play and appearing in heavy sets in three other games while maintaining his redshirt status. The former three-star recruit was listed at 6-foot-3, 355 pounds last season and will follow offensive line coach Ryan Clanton to Penn State.
Defensive tackle Keanu Williams (added 1/5): Williams began his career as a four-star recruit at Oregon, but he transferred south to UCLA for the next three years, where he saw more playing time. He committed to Penn State on Monday night while on a visit to campus, becoming the first non-Iowa State player to join the portal haul. Williams was listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds last season with the Bruins, totaling a career-high 39 tackles.
Wide receiver Zay Robinson (added 1/5): Robinson became the fourth former Iowa State wide receiver to commit to Penn State on Monday afternoon, though he’s yet to prove himself in game action. Robinson, a former three-star recruit, saw just one reception for no yards during his freshman season with the Cyclones, though he did appear on special teams in two games.
Safety Hunter Sowell (added 1/5): The younger brother of Chase Sowell, who committed earlier Monday morning, Hunter will transfer to Penn State after one season at Iowa State. He saw no action while redshirting and was unranked both as a recruit and transfer.
Safety Jamison Patton (added 1/5): Patton was a contributor throughout his first two seasons at Iowa State but stepped into a starting role last season and totaled 48 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions. The Iowa native ranked as a three-star recruit and was given three-star status as a transfer.
Wide receiver Chase Sowell (added 1/5): Sowell was Penn State’s first commitment on Monday morning, adding more depth to a revamped wide receiver corps. This marks Sowell’s fourth college stop, with previous stints at Colorado, East Carolina and Iowa State. Last year with the Cyclones, Sowell caught 32 passes for 500 yards and two touchdowns, though his best statistical season came the year prior when he racked up 34 catches for 678 yards and three touchdowns as a Pirate. He was originally a three-star recruit out of Texas, but earned four-star status as a transfer and was ranked the No. 12 portal wide receiver by 247Sports.
Defensive lineman Alijah Carnell (added 1/4): After two seasons with Iowa State, Carnell committed to transfer to Penn State on Sunday night. He played a rotational role last season as a redshirt freshman, totaling 123 snaps with six tackles and half a sack. Rated as a three-star transfer, Carnell likely won’t make an instant impact but could play a bigger role in coming seasons, with three years of eligibility left.
Wide receiver Karon Brookins (added 1/4): Brookins spent just one season at Iowa State and saw no playing time before joining the large contingent of Cyclones headed to Happy Valley. He’s a product of Winslow Township High School, whose head coach is former Nittany Lion running back Bill Belton. Brookins was ranked as a three-star, both as a high school recruit and a transfer, and becomes the 13th member of Penn State’s portal class.
Linebacker Kooper Ebel (added 1/4): Rated as a three-star transfer, Ebel spent the previous three seasons at Iowa State, including two as a starter. He accumulated 149 tackles, three pass breakups, two sacks and a forced fumble during that span, including a career-high 77 tackles last season. Ebel became the 12th former Cyclone to commit to Penn State on Sunday evening, maintaining status as the No. 1-ranked portal haul in the country by 247Sports.
Guard Trevor Buhr (added 1/4): Burh has started 12 games and seen over 1,000 snaps across the last two seasons at Iowa State, bringing ample experience to the Penn State offensive line room. Buhr is ranked as a three-star transfer and has two seasons of eligibility left after redshirting in 2023. He had an up-and-down season but is credited with allowing just five pressures and no sacks in eight games of action last season.
Linebacker Cael Brezina (added 1/4): Brezina spent two seasons at Iowa State and was an important contributor on defense, totaling 52 tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. He’ll bring two seasons of eligibility in his suitcase and add more depth to a linebacker corps receiving an influx of Cyclones.
Offensive lineman Kuol Kuol II (added 1/4): Kuol was ranked as a three-star and the No. 35 Ohio native in the 2025 class when he arrived at Iowa State last offseason, but he saw no playing time while redshirting. Now, he’s off to Penn State, following a large chunk of the Cyclones’ offensive players.
Linebacker Caleb Bacon (added 1/4): Bacon, a former walk-on, developed into Iowa State’s third-leading tackler last season with 68 takedowns, plus three sacks and three pass breakups. He’s headed into his sixth and final season of college football, and is expected to battle for a starting role alongside Tony Rojas.
Running back Carson Hansen (added 1/4): Hansen was the leading rusher for the Cyclones in each of the last two seasons. In 2025, he totaled 952 yards and six rushing touchdowns on 188 carries, adding 19 receptions for 134 yards, giving him the sixth-most rushing yards in the Big 12.
The former three-star recruit has one season of eligibility remaining and will use it in Happy Valley, where he reunites with Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. He’s expected to compete for the starting role with returning running back Quinton Martin Jr., who surpassed 100 yards in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson to close out the year.
Wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (added 1/4): Eskildsen joined the party on Sunday evening, giving Penn State a wide receiver with proven production. He racked up 30 receptions for 526 yards and five touchdowns last season at Iowa State, more yards than all Nittany Lion wide receivers except Trebor Peña last season. The former three-star prospect has two college seasons remaining.
Quarterback Alex Manske (added 1/4): Manske committed shortly after Rocco Becht, becoming the second former Iowa State quarterback to head to Happy Valley on Sunday. The former four-star recruit was the No. 2 Iowa prospect in the 2025 class and redshirted his lone year with the Cyclones, meaning he has four seasons of eligibility left. Manske saw action in three games, completing four of five passes for 28 yards.
Quarterback Rocco Becht (added 1/4): As expected, Iowa State transfer quarterback Rocco Becht is headed to Penn State, following Campbell, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters, all of whom he worked with in Ames.
Becht has one year of eligibility remaining after spending four seasons as a Cyclone, including three as a starter. Becht totaled 714 completions on 1,177 attempts for 9,274 yards with 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, making him one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Iowa State history. Becht completed 205 of 339 passes (60.5%) for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions last season, putting him in the top half of the conference.
Becht has amassed a 24-12 record as a starter, being named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2023 and an all-conference honorable mention in 2024. He holds the single-game record for passing yards with 446 against Memphis in 2023 and was responsible for two of the five best seasons in program history in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Becht immediately becomes the projected starter next season, with Drew Allar departing for the NFL and Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik entering the transfer portal. He already has familiarity with the coaching staff and playbook, bringing three seasons of starting experience.
Tight end Gabe Burkle (added 1/4): Burkle will spend his final collegiate season at Penn State, he announced Sunday afternoon. Burkle is the second former Iowa State tight end to commit to the Nittany Lions, adding much needed depth to a room losing four players this offseason. Through four years as a Cyclone, Burkle totaled 54 receptions for 607 yards and two touchdowns, with roughly half of that production coming in the last season. Burkle ranked as a three-star both as a recruit and as a transfer, and is pegged as the No. 10 transfer tight end by 247Sports.
Safety Marcus Neal Jr. (added 1/4): Neal hopped on board on Sunday, marking a major addition for Penn State’s secondary. Neal was ranked as a three-star recruit out of high school in 2024 but received four-star status as a transfer after a strong pair of seasons at Iowa State. Last season, Neal totaled 77 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack en route to third-team All-Big 12 honors from the coaches. With Zakee Wheatley, King Mack and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter departing this offseason, Neal is in prime position for a starting role.
Offensive tackle Will Tompkins (added 1/3): Tompkins became Penn State’s second transfer of the cycle late on Saturday night, heading to Happy Valley with four seasons of eligibility remaining. He was originally ranked a three-star recruit and, after seeing no action at Iowa State in 2025, was also pegged as a three-star transfer. He’ll rejoin offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, who also made the move from Ames.
Tight end Benjamin Brahmer (added 1/3): Brahmer became the first player to commit to the Nittany Lions out of the portal on Saturday afternoon, following Campbell from Iowa State. He’s a classic example of Campbell’s “do more with less” reputation, arriving in Ames as a three-star recruit and developing into one of the better tight ends in the country. 247Sports ranked Brahmer as a four-star transfer, the No. 2 tight end and No. 30 overall player in the portal. He totaled 75 receptions for 977 yards and nine touchdowns across the last three seasons, including 37 catches, 446 yards and six scores in 2025, and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
