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Penn State has landed another former Cyclone, and this time, it’s linebacker Caleb Bacon.
Bacon is a former walk-on who quickly earned his keep in Ames. He became a starter for the Cyclones as a sophomore in 2023, putting up 60 tackles, 3 sacks, and 6.5 TFLs. His 2024 season was lost after one quarter due to a leg injury, but he bounced back fully in 2025, finishing the season with 68 tackles, 3 sacks, and 9.5 TFLs.
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At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Bacon is a throwback linebacker that relies on instincts and strength, and excels at stopping the run. He is not going to be someone who runs a 4.45 in the forty at the NFL combine, but he’s proven to be a super capable linebacker despite it.
Beyond the on-the-field aspects of his game, Bacon was a team captain for the Cyclones last season. That might not seem like it matters, but bringing in high character guys is going to be an important part of the process as Matt Campbell essentially tries to blend the roster this season between Penn Staters, former Iowa State players, and the non-Iowa State transfers that come in. Building and instilling that culture is going to be difficult, so the same way keeping guys like Anthony Donkoh and Cooper Cousins was important from a leadership perspective, so too will be getting guys like Bacon from the Iowa State side.
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