[Editorial note: I’m way busier this summer than last, and also not on vacation this week. So you’re getting some articles, not two per day. ~Eli]
After taking the mantle of “third in their division” from Michigan in 2021, The Penn State Nittany Lions are trying be third once again. The Wolverines put out the formula* in 2023, then Ohio State used it the year after. Now, it’s the Nittany Lions who return almost every draft-eligible player, with the exception of three, to run it back and achieve the goal
every team starts the season with: win a national championship. If they achieve it, it’ll make the third team from the former Big Ten East to have done so in as many seasons, and, would mirror the order of finish during those fateful years.**
Two years ago, I posed the question of whether Penn State would ever be “elite.” Then, almost in anticipation of what was to come, I argued that 10 wins were, in fact a good thing. Almost as if they’d read my words, the Nittany Lions went and not only made the College Football Playoff (CFP) in 2024, they did so after winning 11 games in the regular season, a first for James Franklin, battled Oregon to the last possession in the Big Ten Championship game, then, after making the aforementioned CFP, being one drive away from playing for the national title.
There’s something to be said about “having been there before.” It happened with Michigan. Those players were hungry for the finish line after having come so close —yes, I’m talking about 2022. They didn’t belong on the same field as Georgia in 2021. It happened with Ohio State. And now, after the excruciating anguish of being so close, Penn State’s players decided to give it one more shot.
The 2025 team is composed almost exactly like that 2023 Michigan squad.*** A running game powered by two thousand-yard runners in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen —let me underscore the fact that these two dudes both got 1,000 yards while sharing carries, and both came back. They sit behind a line that returns four starters and nine players with meaningful snaps under their belt. A trio of tight ends that, while not as good as departing Tyler Warren individually, combine to still be a dominating group as a unit. Their biggest deficiency on offense, the wide receivers, received**** a major overhaul, as Omari Evans transferred to Washington, Tre Wallace to Ole Miss, and in came Kyron Hudson from USC, Devonte Ross from Troy, and, later in the spring, Trebor Peña from Syracuse. Penn State trade potential for production, in hopes that the proven guys provide the spark, and consistency, that was sorely lacking a season ago.
The stick that stirs the drink is of course quarterback Drew Allar, who has not been shy about addressing his deficiencies this offseason. Under the microscope, Allar understands that this team will go as far as he goes, and, despite the major improvement from 2023 to 2024, he knows there’s still another gear to be hit if his goal of a national championship is going to be reached.
With the players set, Penn State addressed its need on the coaching side. They kept the majority of the staff, replaced two major pieces (running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider off to Notre Dame, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen off to Clemson) with upgrades in Stan Drayton and Jim Knowles, respectively. This should, at worst, keep performance at the level already set in years prior, and, at best, elevate the Lions to heights they have yet to achieve.
With everything seemingly set, the only obstacle left to overcome is mental. Penn State, on paper, should be one of the best teams in the country. The schedule allows them to iron out any wrinkles before things ratchet up in Big Ten play. Now, can they turn the promise into, well, a performance worthy of being elite?
We’ll all find out starting on August 30.
*Asterisk
**Well, technically, Michigan wasn’t second last season, but you get the point.
***Without the asterisk, one would hope.
****Pun most definitely intended.
