LB
Senior
Each section identifies whether the numbers cover one season or a career, plus the school and source used.
Season totals / Iowa State
Source: Penn State Athletics / Source checked October 7, 2026
Season totals / Penn State
Source: Penn State Athletics / Source checked October 7, 2026
Ebel started all 12 games for Iowa State in 2025 and Penn State’s first four in 2026. He had 18 tackles through Wisconsin, then tied a career high with 11 at Northwestern.
Kooper Ebel followed Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State after starting every game for the Cyclones in 2025. He recorded 77 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and three pass breakups that season. Those are Iowa State totals, distinct from his 2026 Penn State record.
Penn State credits Ebel with four starts and 18 tackles through Wisconsin, including eight tackles and three quarterback hurries against the Badgers. At Northwestern on October 2, he made 11 tackles, tying his career high, and assisted on a tackle for loss. That two-game stretch gives a clearer picture of his defensive use than his preseason watch-list placement.
Ebel’s starts and tackle volume support an established role in Penn State’s linebacker group alongside Tony Rojas. Specific down-to-down assignments and a projected USC snap share are not established by these totals, but the game record makes his contribution measurable.
Sources checked October 7, 2026