Penn State‘s 2026 season will feature a completely overhauled roster following an offseason of significant transition. A coaching change led to a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, which led to a number of new faces on the program. We have taken some time to profile each player on the roster this season, but now it is time to dig a little deeper on the 25 players who will play the largest roles on the roster.
We shift back to the offensive side of the football with a look at one of Penn State’s key transfer portal additions, wide receiver Koby Howard. As one of the only returning wide receivers on Penn State’s roster, Howard will be tasked with carving out a role in a new-look room.
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2025 in review
As a true freshman, Howard only featured in seven of the Nittany Lions‘ games last season, recording 7 catches for 133 yards without a touchdown. However, he did average a highly impressive 19 yards per catch in that small sample size, with a long of 31 yards. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding who will emerge as the No. 1 target in a new-look wide receiver room, but there is a chance for Howard to feature heavily in the offense come the season’s start, maybe even to the point of being their leading receiver.
Biggest question for 2026
With there being a massive change in the WR personnel, there are a lot of questions of what Koby Howard can be in this offense. Perhaps the most intriguing is what his potential 2026 performance will mean for 2027. While Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen will most likely be the marquee names in the WR corps, one is a senior and the other is a junior. Koby Howard on the other hand, is a sophomore so he has a lot of football left to play. Still, 2026 is a crucial year in terms of his development and in order to have a chance at a bigger role in the future, he has to shine now before it’s too late and other talent enters the equation.
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2026 will be a success if…
Howard will have a successful season if he develops a rapport with new QB Rocco Becht as a reliable target in Penn State’s offense. What that could look like remains to be seen, but if Howard can up his production to about 30-35 catches and 450 yards, that will show signs of positivity and progress in his game. He has the advantage of being the one sole returner in the receiving corps who will have meaningful playing time, so that could translate into a lot of trust and chemistry between him and Becht. If what we’ve heard from fall camp and Big Ten media days, that chemistry is already at a fantastic level. All that needs to happen is to have it translate on the field.
2026 will be a disappointment if…
He does not become a competent receiver in this offense. A lot of pressure is on Howard to ensure that he will get a lot of targets and opportunities in this offense. However, it is no guarantee that even with a rapport built with Becht, that Howard will produce as much as the coaching staff, Becht and fans believe. As of right now, Howard is still in the WR3 role, where he’ll look to get a lot of reps in the slot. If he can have success in that role, chances are he can showcase his versatility and align anywhere in the formation. He just has to get to that point of trust first.
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Realistic outlook for 2026
While Becht set the lofty standard of Howard reaching 1,000 receiving yards this season, chances are that may not happen in what could be a trying year for the receivers and Becht. They may never have a clear WR1 like last year, which could result in a distribution of wealth. Therefore, it’s much easier to predict that Koby Howard will only get over about 450 yards at best. That’s not to say that he will not be a great receiver in Happy Valley, it’s just that it will take time for him to fully grow into the offense as a featured receiver with much more responsibilities.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State Top 25 players for 2026: Koby Howard
