After a summer of building hype for his potential on the field this fall, Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard delivered the goods in the season opener. Howard had a game-high 161 receiving yards in Penn State's 45-0 victory over Marshall on Saturday. His single-game performance exceeded his entire 2025 receiving yardage total, and he is just getting warmed up.
Howard wasted no time showing his value as a receiving target for starting quarterback Rocco Becht in the first quarter. Howard made an adjustment on the fly to help his quarterback out after it appeared the primary target was not going to be an option on the play. Howard slipped into an open spot on the field to haul in a catch and then let his legs do the rest of the work on his way
to the end zone for a first-quarter touchdown.
"I was looking to set a run for someone else. I think it was [running back James Peoples], but he slipped, so Rocco held onto the ball, and I saw him holding onto it," Howard recalled in a postgame media session. "I knew the ball was supposed to be out earlier than that. So, then I knew it was time to go get open, and you know, I ran to an open spot and he hit me."
Rocco → Koby for the fist TD of the season ✔️
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 5, 2026
LIVE on @FS1 pic.twitter.com/GUhDyUa2Nh
Howard's performance continued to shine on a day where Becht was doing well to distribute the football to all of his options. Becht completed touchdown passes to four different players, starting wiht Howard, but Howard continued to make some big plays with his hands to keep the offense moving in chunks. For Howard, the seaosn debut was rewarding, but it is far too early to get carried away with expectactions.
"I feel like today was just a test, but you know it really doesn’t stop here," Howard said in his postgame media breakout session. "I’ve just got to keep proving myself and keep showing the coaches that they can trust me so that when those big moments come, they’re ready to call my number."
Howard appeared in nine games for the Nittany Lions last season, with four starts. He recorded 7 receptions for 133 yards as a true freshman. Most of his significant playing time came following the mid-season firing of former head coach James Franklin. Howard quickly received rave reviews from Matt Campbell this offseason as the rising star made a point of showing what he can do in camp and practices.
"I went in there knowing that I had stuff to prove," Howard said. "I was showing the coaches that I could be trusted, and I really don’t want to come off the field, honestly. So, it was just showing the coaches that I could do that and showing them that they could throw me the ball in the game."
"I think the sky is the limit for Koby Howard, and I’m really proud of him because, you were ready for this moment," Campbell said in his postgame press conference on Saturday. "Your shots come, the moment’s going to come when you take advantage of it, and Koby’s a guy that’s worked so hard behind the scenes to take advantage of this moment, so I’m really happy for him."
Howard is already among the Big Ten receiving yardage leaders after just one game. Odds are he will not be putting up 150+ receiving yards per game this season, but it was refreshing to see a young wide receiver step up to make some plays when needed in the Penn State offense out of the gates of the new season. Howard and Penn State will face stiffer pass defenses later on this season, but he could get another chance to impress in Week 2 when Penn State visits Temple in Philadelphia.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State WR Koby Hwoard says he is just getting started after Week 1
