Seth Engle

1 week ago | statecollege.com | Seth Engle

The question marks that surrounded Penn State’s linebacker group at the end of spring practice have settled. Amare Campbell, who announced his transfer to the Nittany Lions on Tuesday after two seasons at North Carolina, became the answer to James Franklin’s thinning depth at one of his program’s most historically dominant positions. Campbell should become a plug-and-play option for Jim Knowles in his first year as Penn State’s defensive coordinator.

1 week ago | statecollege.com | Seth Engle

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 reported. 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.

1 week ago | statecollege.com | Seth Engle

The clock has been ticking on Penn State to add pieces to its 2025-26 roster since last season’s conclusion. On Tuesday, after a month-long dry spell on the transfer portal and recruiting trails, the Nittany Lions dipped into the international market to earn a commitment from Croatian center Ivan Juric, ESPN’s Jonathon Givony reported. The 7-foot, 244-pound Juric averaged 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds across seven games in the FIBA U18 Eurobasket last summer.

1 week ago | statecollege.com | Seth Engle

Penn State’s hot spring on the recruiting trail has continued with another addition. Mathieu Lamah, a three-star linebacker from Virginia’s Patriot High School, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Monday. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Lamah is rated as the nation’s No. 42 linebacker and No. 543 overall player for the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports. He chose Penn State over Michigan, North Carolina and others. James Franklin has added six prospects to his 2026 class over the past month.

2 weeks ago | statecollege.com | Seth Engle

James Franklin cut to the chase after Penn State’s final spring practice on Saturday. He’s looking for help at linebacker. The unit is thin on depth after the departure of Ta’Mere Robinson, who transferred to USC last week, and stability is needed ahead of a season with national championship expectations. There’s no room for holes in the roster. “I think we’re in good shape, but there’s some concerns there. We lost a guy that we didn’t anticipate losing.