To wrap up the opponent preview series, we have our preview of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State has been among the top programs in the conference, but has struggled to get over the hump and win its biggest games. This year, the expectations are even higher, with James Franklin’s team expected to compete for, if not win, a national championship. Penn State started the season ranked #2 in the AP poll, just five points below top-ranked Texas, and a full 75 points ahead of third-ranked Ohio State,
which has been the ultimate roadblock for the Nittany Lions for many consecutive seasons.
The Penn State offense may be the best in the nation when you combine its continuity and talent. Senior quarterback Drew Allar is coming off a stellar 2024 season, with over 3,300 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading Penn State to the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff semifinals. Surrounding Allar is the running back duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, with Allen rushing for 1,108 yards on 220 carries and Singleton right behind with 1,099 yards on just 172 carries. The rushing duo is arguably the best in all of college football, and each back will look for another 1,000-plus-yard season on the ground for Penn State.
The offense loses its do-it-all tight end, Tyler Warren, who was drafted in the first round by the Colts. Warren led the Lions in receptions and receiving yards, with 104 catches for 1,233 yards through the air. He also carried the football 26 times for 218 yards and even threw three completed passes for 35 yards. Backup tight ends Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds will look to step up at the position and fill the big shoes of Warren this season.
Penn State also made wholesale changes to its struggling receiving corps, which has often held the team back in big game situations. Their top two wide receivers in 2024, Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, have transferred to Ole Miss and Washington, respectively, but the Nittany Lions brought in three of the top transfer receivers through the portal.
Slot receiver Trebor Peña caught 84 passes for 941 yards and nine touchdowns for Syracuse in 2024, while outside receiver Kyron Hudson made 76 catches for over 1,000 yards and 11 scores for USC last season. To round out the group, flanker Devonte Ross led the Troy Trojans with 1,043 yards on 76 catches, while leading the Sun Belt with 11 touchdown receptions. He also made a big impact as a returner and will likely be the punt returner this season for Penn State.
To ensure the operation goes as expected, the Nittany Lions’ offensive line is solid as well. Olaivavega Ioane and Drew Shelton are All-Big Ten at the left guard and left tackle positions, while center Nick Dawkins, right tackle Nolan Rucci, and right guard Cooper Cousins are all solid players in their own right. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was brought in from Kansas in 2024, and this season, he will have a wealth of weapons to unleash the offensive creativity for which he was known at the Jayhawks.
As good as the offense looks, the defense looks to be just as good, if not better. Star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant are the big returning names on the left side, but on the right side, tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. and end Juriah Fisher will complete a fearsome front four. Although star linebacker and edge rusher Abdul Carter left for the Giants, “Linebacker U” brings in UNC transfer Amare Campbell to pair with Tony Rojas in the middle of the defense. Former walk-on Dom DeLuca tied for the team lead with three interceptions and will once again see significant time in a rotational role.
In the secondary, Elliott Washington II will start at left cornerback opposite A.J. Harris, who allowed just one touchdown on 389 coverage snaps in an All-Big Ten season for the Nittany Lions in 2024. Zion Tracy, the nickel cornerback, had a pick-six against Ohio State last season and will be used more often in Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 defensive scheme. Behind them, star free safety Zakee Wheatley will return after accumulating 77 tackles, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and an interception. At strong safety, DeJuan Lane is ready to start after a strong spring, while King Mack figures to be a key reserve after transferring back to Penn State from Alabama.
With the special teams unit being led by kicker Ryan Barker and punter Riley Thompson, Penn State will field its most complete team in many years this season. After a soft nonconference slate with matchups against Nevada, Florida International, and Villanova, Penn State has one of its biggest games against Oregon in its annual whiteout game. Oregon defeated PSU in the Big Ten championship last season, and the Nittany Lions will be primed for revenge. Some easier Big Ten games will await, including a trip to UCLA and a home game against Northwestern to start October, before a tough trip to Iowa and a crucial game against the Buckeyes in Columbus to open the month of November.
Penn State then hosts an upstart Indiana, travels to Michigan State, and hosts Nebraska, before traveling to New Jersey to battle the Scarlet Knights. With Rutgers coming off one of their toughest games of the year against Ohio State, having to ready themselves for a team as talented as the Nittany Lions will not be easy. It will be an emotional regular-season finale for the Scarlet Knights on Senior Day, and although Rutgers will continue to show its improvement and fight, something highly unexpected would need to happen for them to get their first win against Penn State since 1988.
