Penn State head coach Matt Campbell and his staff have added former Iowa State offensive lineman Vaea Ikakoula via the transfer portal. He is the 21st PSU portal pickup of 2026.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 355 pounds, Ikakoula is a native of Hawaii. The former three-star prospect started his prep career at Kahuku High School before transferring to West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, for his final two seasons. During that time, Ikakoula received more than a dozen scholarship offers. Notable schools included Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Washington State.
However, it was Stanford that originally grabbed the attention of the Class of 2025 prospect, with Ikakoula committing to the Cardinal in June 2024. However, he eventually backed out of that committment just before the early signing period in December 2024, flipping to Iowa State.
“This young guy, Vaea, has come in here and been a ‘wow’ guy,” said Campbell during Iowa State’s preseason camp. “I think he’s as impressive as any young offensive lineman that’s ever come in here and just been a difference maker so far. I think you’ve got to throw his name into the mix of, where’s he at? Is he capable of helping this team do this?”
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Ikakoula played in four games for the Cyclones during his freshman season, allowing him to redshirt and retain four seasons of eligibility. However, he played sparingly, totaling just 45 snaps, though he earned two starts in the final two games of the 2025 season against Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Penn State has seen a handful of offensive linemen enter the portal, including Alex Birchmeier, Eagan Boyer, J’ven Williams and TJ Shanahan. However, Campbell and offensive lineman coach Ryan Clanton have also been able to retain a few quality linemen, as well, most notably Anthony Donkoh, Cooper Cousins, Owen Aliciene, Garrett Sexton and Chimdy Onoh.