Penn State adds another former Iowa State linebacker in John Klosterman

Penn State is busy officially adding its new additions from the transfer portal and the Class of 2026 on Friday. The Nittany Lions should be adding roughly 50 players to the roster, many of whom previously played for Matt Campbell at Iowa State. Among them, but not previously announced, is former Iowa State linebacker John Klosterman. 

Klosterman enrolled for classes at University Park this week and will join Penn State for the 2026 season. He started his career at Iowa State as a walk-on in 2022 and was listed as a redshirt junior in 2025. Klosterman missed most of 2024 with a season-ending injury suffered in the fourth game of the year, which could give him two more years in Happy Valley.

The 5-foot-11, 230-pounder was a reserve linebacker and special teams player who appeared in seven games in 2025. He’s played in 24 games in his college career and recorded 18 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Klosterman looked to be on a path to play more early in his career, as he appeared in all 13 games for the Cyclones as a redshirt freshman in 2023. 

Klosterman is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and was an Academic All-Big Ten First-Team pick in 2023. He won the Big 12’s highest academic honor, the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, in 2025, along with future Penn State teammates Caleb Bacon and Gabe Burkle. 

Adding to Penn State’s linebacker room

The Nittany Lions will have a new-look linebacker room under new assistant Tyson Veidt and holdover coach Dan Connor. Five scholarship linebackers opted to hit the transfer portal this month, including leading tackler Amare Campbell, who landed at Tennessee. Keon Wylie ended up at Virginia Tech, Anthony Speca is at Purdue and DaKaari Nelson and Kari Jackson are still unsigned. 

Penn State will return production from redshirt junior Tony Rojas and sophomore Alex Tatsch, but both are coming off long-term injuries suffered during the 2025 season. Freshmen LaVar Arrington II and Cam Smith are on the roster for the spring as the only scholarship holdovers.

Penn State does have multiple former Iowa State linebackers coming in, however. Klosterman, Caleb Bacon, Kooper Ebel and Cael Brezina are all on campus for the spring. Former West Virginia safety Chris Fileppo is also enrolled and Class of 2026 linebacker Keian Kaiser will arrive this summer. 

Keep up with all of Penn State’s movement this offseason with the BWI Portal and Roster Hot Board!