Penn State Opens First Camp Under Matt Campbell as College Football's Preseason Wave Begins

Penn State football opened preseason camp Wednesday for the first time under head coach Matt Campbell, beginning what figures to be a significant transitional year for the program following an offseason marked by a coaching change and heavy transfer portal activity. The Nittany Lions enter camp with an overhauled roster, with several new faces brought in to fill key roles on both sides of the ball.

Among the most closely watched newcomers is wide receiver Brett Eskildsen, who arrives from Iowa State after posting 32 receptions for 543 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors. Eskildsen, who previously played alongside quarterback Rocco Becht with the Cyclones, joins a Penn State receiving corps that also includes Chase Sowell. Whether Eskildsen can develop into a true No. 1 option in the Big Ten figures to be one of the central storylines of the Nittany Lions' fall camp.

Texas A&M, Miami Also Begin Fall Work

Texas A&M officially kicked off its preseason Wednesday as well, with third-year coach Mike Elko addressing competition across a roster that lost a program-record 10 players to the 2026 NFL Draft. The Aggies enter camp ranked eighth in the first US LBM Coaches Poll and face the challenge of replacing four starting offensive linemen, with center Mark Nabou Jr. the lone returning starter up front. Redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, returns as the unquestioned starter, while a three-way competition among sophomore Brady Hart, freshman Helaman Casuga, and redshirt freshman Eli Morcos will determine the backup role. Elko confirmed Hart will enter camp as the No. 2 signal-caller.

This program has had a really hard time doubling down on success. That's our challenge.

— Texas A&M coach Mike Elko

Elko also pointed to the secondary as a potential strength, noting the addition of Tennessee transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson alongside returning safeties Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe and veteran corners Dezz Ricks and Julio Humphrey. Colorado transfer safety Tawfiq Byard, who did not allow a passing touchdown in over 500 snaps last season, rounds out a unit Elko described as the deepest the program has fielded.

Miami also returned to the practice field Wednesday, continuing work on what figures to be one of the nation's most explosive offenses. The Hurricanes enter preseason widely regarded as a preseason top-10 program and a contender for another deep College Football Playoff run, with new starting quarterback Darian Mensah and much of a top-five defense from a season ago returning. Coach Mario Cristobal, who opened fall practice earlier in the week, set the tone by emphasizing execution over expectation, according to reports from the program's opening session.