Coby Howard will miss time due to an undisclosed injury. Image courtesy of CBS Sports.

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Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard, SprtsBite’s ninth-ranked player at the position with a 9.17 BiteScore, will miss extended time due to an undisclosed injury that he sustained last week against Buffalo.

The sophomore has broken out as Penn State’s leading receiver this season, already with 12 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns. He is leading the Big Ten in yards per reception (28.7) and ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards.

Penn State’s passing offense wasn’t regarded as one of the best in the conference coming into the 2026 season. Rocco Becht, who followed Matt Campbell from Iowa State, only threw for 2,500 yards in 2025. However, Howard has been a huge part of a passing game that ranks in the top half of the Big Ten so far.

Penn State is averaging 42.3 points and 287 passing yards per game against inferior competition. Howard has been a huge part of their success, generating big plays and creating most of their offense through the air.

As of right now, there is no timeline for his return. This week, the Nittany Lions face Wisconsin at home to open Big Ten play, before going on the road to face Northwestern. Penn State is favored in both of these games, but if Howard’s injury lingers into their matchups with USC on Oct. 10 and Michigan on Oct. 17, it could create some problems. Those games are going to be crucial if Penn State wants any chance at sneaking in the playoff.

While Howard is out, we will likely see guys who followed Campbell see more targets. Chase Sowell, Brett Eskildsen and Benjamin Brahmer are all former Cyclones, so their relationship with Becht should prove to be valuable while they await Howard’s return.

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