Penn State gets top six spot in post-spring Big Ten power rankings: Newsstand

Penn State news, notes, and updates for May 19 include post-spring Big Ten power rankings, headlines of the day, and more. CBS Sports’ Cody Nagel puts the Nittany Lions at No. 6 in their conference as the 2026 season approaches. That means they are behind three teams they don’t play in Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, who make up the top three in that order, in addition to two teams they do play: No. 4 USC and No. 5 Michigan.

“The Penn State Nittany Cyclones? New coach Matt Campbell brought 23 former Iowa State players with him to Happy Valley, quickly reshaping the roster,” Nagel writes. “Quarterback Rocco Becht stands out as the most important newcomer, arriving as the active FBS leader in games played (42), starts (39) and career snaps (2,509). There’s obvious familiarity with Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, but it’s still a leap into a completely new conference.

“The schedule is very manageable without Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon on it. The question is the ceiling — Penn State still feels like a tier below the true contenders — but the floor looks high enough to keep them safely in the mix for an at-large bid in the CFP.”

You can read the full power rankings here. Another team Penn State will play this year, Washington, checks in right behind the Nittany Lions at No. 7.

“What should’ve been a quiet early offseason was disrupted by drama surrounding Demond Williams Jr.’s brief, chaotic flirtation with the transfer portal before he ultimately recommitted to Washington,” Nagel writes.

“Whether that episode has any lingering effect inside the locker room remains to be seen.”

The rest of today’s newsstand is below.

Penn State headlines of the day

Penn State Class of 2027: The three-stars with four-star talent Matt Campbell found: Carr, BWI

Key numbers Penn State fans should know following the 2028 Rivals300: Snyder, BWI

The weekly rundown: Penn State heads west to Big Ten meetings as spring evaluation period wraps up: Pickel, BWI

Penn State involved with nearly 90 prospects in updated 2028 Rivals300: Snyder, BWI

What is the top takeaway and question for the Penn State defensive ends after spring ball?: Pickel, BWI

New Penn State QB commit Will Wood out to prove himself under Matt Campbell: Fitz, BWI

Quote of the day

“I’ve trained and become friends with some of the top-rated guys in the country, especially early on in the process. was very happy for those guys, but it also created a chip on my shoulder. Coach Campbell was like, ‘You’ve got to keep that.’ I think that I’ve really bought into their program, because they have that sort of mentality where they feel that they’ve been overlooked or lesser valued, and they’re just going to be tougher. And I think we connect on that level. I think that’s why we felt that we were a perfect fit for each other. It’s obviously a thing where I want to prove that I’m better than people think, but the main thing is that I prove myself right.”

PSU QB commit Will Wood to BWI about picking the Lions.