Penn State football is firmly entrenched as a Top 20 team with the 2026 season less than two weeks away.
The Nittany Lions and first-year head coach Matt Campbell are No. 18 in the annual Associated Press preseason poll, released on Monday, Aug. 17. The Lions already were No. 17 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll which came out earlier this month.
This is their ninth preseason ranking in the past 10 years.
It's quite the contrast to last August when former coach James Franklin's highly-publicized team started No. 3 — the program's highest preseason standing in the poll in 28 years. Of course, Franklin was fired in the middle of a stunning six-game losing streak that turned Penn State into college football's most disappointing team.
The Lions finished the season 7-6 and unranked, despite a late turnaround under interim leader Terry Smith. Campbell and his new staff are preparing for Sept. 5 season-opener against Marshall in a bigger-than-ever Beaver Stadium.
The AP and coaches poll treat the top Big Ten teams exactly the same way with Ohio State and Oregon at No. 1 and No. 2 and defending national champ Indiana at No. 6 — all teams the Lions avoid during the regular season. Other Big Ten teams in the AP poll: USC (14th), Michigan (16th), Washington (17th) and Iowa (22nd).
The poll, of course, is dominated by the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, which has five teams in the Top 10 and a sixth, LSU, at No. 11.
The Nittany Lions will be led by senior quarterback Rocco Becht, one of an unprecedented 40 transfers, who will help overhaul the roster. More than half of those followed Campbell from Iowa State, including expected big contributors on offense in Becht, running back Carson Hanson, wide receivers Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and Amarion Jackson, tight ends Ben Brahmer and Gabe Burkle and offensive lineman Trevor Buhr.
New defensive coordinator and Penn State alum D'Anton Lynn will feature larger bodies up front, a remade linebacker group led by returning All-America candidate Tony Rojas and a deep and versatile secondary.
With so much newness and uncertainty, though, Penn State is mostly garnering second-tier Big Ten predictions, for now.
At least there is this: Campbell's team appears to continue working fall camp in exceptional good health, even for those easing back into action from injuries, like all-star transfers in safety Jeremiah Cooper and Gabe Burkle, who he called the "best blocking tight end in the country."
The Lions will open the season as overwhelming favorites against non-conference opponents Marshall, at Temple (Sept. 12) and Buffalo (Sept. 19). Their toughest tests will be expected in the potential White Out game against USC (Oct. 10) and in road games at Michigan (Oct. 17) and Washington (Nov. 7).
Penn State football schedule 2026A majority of times to be determined at a later date.
- Sept. 5 vs. Marshall, 3:30 p.m.
- Sept. 12 at Temple, noon
- Sept. 19 vs. Buffalo, noon
- Sept. 26 vs. Wisconsin
- Oct. 2 at Northwestern, 8 p.m.
- Oct. 10 vs. USC
- Oct. 17 at Michigan
- Oct. 24 OFF
- Oct. 31 vs. Purdue
- Nov. 7 at Washington
- Nov. 14 vs Minnesota
- Nov. 21 vs. Rutgers
- Nov. 28 at Maryland
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football, Matt Campbell earn Top 20 spot in preseason poll
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