Will Amare Campbell be at Penn State in 2026? His decision to stay or go is in

Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell has made his stay-or-go decision ahead of the 2026 season. The defender plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reports.

Campbell came to Penn State last offseason via the transfer portal. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at North Carolina. After initially going into the transfer portal at the end of the 2024 season, he ultimately decided to stick around Chapel Hill for Bill Belichick’s first spring with the Tar Heels. But, after that set of drills, he left for good and ended up reuniting with fellow Virginia native and linebacker Tony Rojas in State College. Penn State badly needed a linebacker who could not just provide depth but also contribute significantly. And, Campbell did. He started all 13 games for the Lions in 2025, finishing with a team-high 769 snaps out of a possible 847, per PFF.

Penn State linebackers coach Dan Connor probably didn’t plan on taking Campbell off the field much, regardless, this season. But, once Rojas went down with a season-ending injury, there was little choice but to send No. 24 onto the field for as many plays as possible week in and week out. He is a 2025 All-Big Ten pick by the media. The coaches put him in the honorable mention category.

“I’m happy with how he’s playing,” Connor said in September. “He’s a savvy player. He’s been playing well. He handles himself well as a leader of the room and of the defense. We all are in a constant state of trying to get better. Coach Knowles, one of his super powers is to constantly have pressure on players and coaches.

“We’re pushing ourselves to continue to improve, and he’s done a good job. That was the biggest worry I had, losing Kobe King and an established MIKE, but between Amare and DeLuca, it’s been good so far, but it has to improve for what we want to do this season.”

See the latest Penn State transfer portal updates here.