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Which freshmen have impressed during fall practices so far?
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- Which freshmen have impressed during fall practices so far?
During fall camp, sometimes it's important for some stars to emerge, whether they be a seasoned vet or some young, fresh talent. Luckily for the Nittany Lions , they have a good blend of both. While their freshman class looked shaky in terms of the recruiting process, once they set foot in Happy Valley, they've been able to prove that they could be solid contributors not just in the long run, but for the 2026 season as well. Here are some freshmen whose names you might want to know headed into the season that are making noise in fall camp.
Amarion Jackson
While Amarion Jackson was not one of Penn State 's most impressive recruits, he proved everyone wrong during spring practices. The former three star prospect has shone everywhere the Nittany Lions have put him. While the wide receiver room does not look to have many questions surrounding it, Jackson could find himself getting snaps and playing in games this season when it seemed as if he would be more of a developmental prospect. Don't be surprised if Amarion Jackson slowly becomes a household name in Happy Valley much sooner than expected.
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Jackson Ford
On the other end of the spectrum, Ford was expected to be a star as soon as he set foot on campus. One of the best recruits in the 2026 recruiting class for the Nittany Lions, Ford has done nothing to dissuade the notion that he's a future star on the defensive side of the ball. At 6-4, 264 pounds, he already has the elite size and athleticism that any program would covet in a freshman. Defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe is already raving about him. "We did O-line, D-line, and he stood somebody up easily," he said. "But then when that carries over to 11-on-11, he's all over the field. He needs some reps to gain confidence that he can really do it. And we prepared him for that".
Lucas Tenbrock
Tenbrock may not play the sexiest position, but his emergence at a position of need could really help the Nittany Lions nail down a long term solution to the problem. The punter from Illinois was originally committed to Iowa State before he followed Matt Campbell to Happy Valley and now finds himself in a competition with fellow transfer Nathan Tiyce to fill the void that cult legend Gabe Nwosu has left behind. With special teams coaches raving blout the similarites between Tenbrock and Nwosu, who's to say that Tenbrock can't have the same cult status that Nwosu did?
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Kevin McGuire is the lead writer for Nittany Lions Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on BlueSky , Threads or any of these other platforms .
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Which freshmen have impressed during fall practices so far?
