Penn State picks up a new portal pledge from former Iowa State linebacker Caleb Bacon

Penn State football is adding another former Iowa State player to its roster ahead of the 2026 season. This time, it’s inside linebacker Caleb Bacon who is picking the Lions. He committed to his former head coach, Matt Campbell, on Sunday after wrapping up a multi-day official visit to State College. The Lake Mills, Iowa, native led the Cyclones’ linebackers with 652 snaps in 2025. With them, he piled up 58 tackles (9.5 for loss) in addition to three sacks, a forced fumble, four quarterback hurries, and three pass breakups. One of his top performances came in Iowa State’s regular season finale in late November. He was named the Big 12’s defender of the week after registering three sacks in a win over Oklahoma State.

A former walk-on, Bacon earned a scholarship from Campbell and co., following the 2023 season. He suffered an injury early in 2024, which cost him that entire season. He has one year of eligibility left.

“I think the first thing is absolute health and his confidence,” Campbell said at last year’s Big 12 media days. He was talking about Bacon’s strengths. “I think he gained that this spring. I think he really did.”

Bacon is the eight Iowa State player to pick Penn State since the portal opened back on Jan. 2.

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