Is Matt Campbell the man to unite Penn State Football? Todd Blackledge thinks so

Penn State legend and NBC color analyst Todd Blackledge sits down with Thomas Frank Carr for an exclusive BWI interview — and his take on Matt Campbell, Rocco Becht, and the 2026 season is everything Penn State fans have been waiting to hear from a national voice. Blackledge calls Campbell "the perfect hire for the right moment" — a genuine endorsement from someone who has covered college football at the highest level for decades and knows Penn State football intimately. He breaks down what Campbell's outreach to former lettermen has meant for the program, why connecting current players to Penn State's history matters, and what he thinks this blended roster can actually accomplish in year one. 00:00:04 - Introduction: Todd Blackledge Joins BWI 00:00:29 - Campbell's Outreach to Penn State Lettermen — What It's Been Like 00:03:03 - Why Connecting With History Matters for This Current Team 00:04:59 - "Matt Campbell Was the Perfect Hire" — Blackledge Makes His Case 00:06:45 - Year One: The Blended Roster & What to Expect 00:09:04 - Rocco Becht: "One of the Most Seasoned QBs in College Football" 00:11:00 - How Important Is It to Start Fast in Year One? 00:13:04 - Blackledge's Warning: What He Saw Before the Oregon Loss Last Year 00:14:57 - D'Anton Lynn: His Fit With Campbell & What He Brings 00:16:43 - Big Ten Landscape: Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon & USC 00:21:15 - Washington Is Sneaky Good — Penn State's Toughest Road Trip? 00:22:15 - The Big Ten's QB Class: "As Good as I've Ever Seen" 00:23:57 - Is Penn State's Schedule Actually That Easy? Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK Check out the site too! - https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/ Get 20% off and free shipping at Fanatics with our affiliate link: https://fanatics.93n6tx.net/OeZg2z Use Code BWI20 to get 20 percent off Rhoback’s Gameday Collection: https://rhoback.com/collections/pennsylvania-state-university-licensed-collection Want breaking news like this delivered straight to your inbox for FREE? Sign up today for the BWI breaking newsletter! You’ll also get daily updates with the top headlines of the day five times a week. Click here to sign-up! https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/newsletter/join/ #PennState  #NittanyLions   JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/ Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters:  https://bluewhiteonline.com  Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3 Music and SFX from Zapsplat.com  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.