Campbell

Penn State didn’t make plans for the 2026 Blue-White Game until last month. Coach Matt Campbell said there would be football activities in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium in the spring in the first few weeks of his hiring, but nothing was set in stone.

As the Lions opened spring practice on Tuesday, more questions lingered more than they were answered about what the Blue-White Game will look like on April 25.

What’s known is there will be football activities in the stadium, but spring football games have become more of a practice with frequent drills and less live reps.

“We’ll evaluate what that 15th practice looks like,” Campbell said. “I think you’ll get some version of practice. Hopefully we can get some scrimmaging where we get live reps in practice.”

It was important for Campbell to hold a Blue-White Game with a completely revamped roster. Some of the players have experienced a gameday at Penn State, but most of them are new to the experience.

“I think it’s really important for us that we get out and fans have an opportunity to be with us,” he said. “But I think it’s equally critical for our players to be in that stadium and to feel what the fan base looks like, and replicate that environment to the best of our ability before we play a game.”

Becht’s availability

New PSU quarterback Rocco Becht had surgery at the end of last season on a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder while still at Iowa State. He also had a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder.

While Becht has rehabbed his way back, he still won’t be available for live work during the spring. Campbell said Becht has been throwing for a little over three weeks and is ‘a little bit ahead physically.’

Becht was able to do drill work on Tuesday in the first spring practice, and he will get opportunities such as 7-on-7 drills to work throughout the spring.

“We have to make sure we’re slow and right with Rocco, rather than fast and wrong,” Campbell said. “It’s certainly huge to have him out there. For the young quarterbacks to be able to watch him and have his leadership on the field, that’s big for us.”

Morning workouts

During the COVID-19 era in 2020, Campbell switched to morning practices while at Iowa State. All of the student-athletes’ school work was done online, and Campbell began to become an advocate of getting practice done in the morning.

When the Cyclones went back to afternoon workouts in 2021, their production slipped both academically and on the field. Campbell called it “a huge mistake” on his end.

At Penn State, Campbell has implemented morning practices in the spring so it can be better managed in the fall. In a normal spring, he would do afternoon practices.

“I’ve really become convinced that it is absolutely the best thing for student-athletes,” Campbell said.

Iowa State reported positive results with morning workouts, including skyrocketing grades on the academic side.

“It gives our young men a start to their day,” Campbell said. “Get some breakfast, get some lunch after practice, and it gives us a chance to reconnect with them at dinner. I think we saw injuries significantly decrease because they aren’t sitting in class, their day didn’t start slow. Everybody’s day starts the same.”

Campbell said many of the players are in favor of the change.

Biggest adjustment

It’s easy to forget that Campbell and the staff are still learning things on the fly in their new surroundings in State College.

Campbell said it took about two weeks to figure out how to get into the Lasch Building. It took a while to get his family and the staff’s families to State College.

But one thing that remains the same for him is building the program.

“You kind of hit the ground running,” Campbell said. “The process it takes to build a football team year in and year out and build a program, I don’t think those things change.

“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been a really great whirlwind. I feel like we continue to push forward, which has been positive.”