Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State head coach James Franklin was asked a question about Drew Allar. His answer, by every indica- tion, was about the third-year signal- caller sitting to his right The Nittany Lions had just lost to Notre Dame, 27-24, in the College Foot- ball Playoff semifinals, and the hurt they were feeling required no reading between the lines. With a berth in the national championship game within reach, Penn State had fallen short. The disappointment of that result was writ- ten on the faces of the team's postgame media room contingent — Franklin, Allar and junior running back Nicholas Singleton. "He's hurting right now," Franklin said of Allar. "He should be hurting. We're all hurting. This ain't easy to get in here right after the game and have a conver- sation after you just poured your guts out on that field, and really did it all year long. "He'll be hurting tonight, and he'll be hurting tomorrow, and he'll hurt a little bit less the next day, and so on. But he's a committed guy who's going to do it the right way. It may not feel like it right now, but he'll learn from this. He'll be better for it, and so will we." The hurt was undoubtedly still there for the Nittany Lions as the CFP national championship proceeded without them. The same was true for the community of fans who supported the team throughout its run to the semifinals. But when a succession of players an- nounced they would be returning for the 2025 season, the tenor of the conversa- tion shifted almost immediately. Offensively, the Nittany Lions will welcome back Allar for his senior season, along with Singleton and fellow run- ning back Kaytron Allen, both of whom eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground as juniors. Up front, center Nick Dawkins is returning for his graduate year to anchor an experienced offensive line. Defensively, Abdul Carter's departure for the NFL was quickly offset by a pair of crucial returns. Coming off his best game as a Nittany Lion, Dani Dennis-Sutton will be back for a fourth season at defen- sive end. By his side, Zane Durant returns at tackle, while safety Zakee Wheatley will also be back. In addition to their sub- stantial on-field contributions, that trio will provide senior leadership in 2025. With those announcements, an obvi- ous upside is now in play for the team. Having not just participated in their first playoff but made the final four, the Nittany Lions now have a firm under- standing of what's necessary to succeed among the game's elite. "It was a tremendous experience for our guys, and they know they can play with anybody," Franklin said. "There are a lot of young guys in that locker room who played. There are a bunch of young guys that were able to experience it. It's an experience that they'll remember for the rest of their life, this season and how it went. "There's going to be a ton of guys coming back for next year that are go- ing to be hungry and are going to be motivated for more. They've gotten a taste of what this feels like, and what it looks like, and what it smells like. "We'll all be better for it, including myself. We'll be better from this expe- rience because there are so many guys in that locker room who have a chance to come back and use this as fuel and experience to get back here next year and the years after that." The next iteration of Franklin's team won't be a carbon copy. In addition to Carter, Penn State's defense is losing the services of cornerback Jalen Kim- ber, linebacker Kobe King and safety Kevin Winston Jr., all of whom had remaining eligibility. The unit will also be without coordinator Tom Allen, who moved into the same role at Clemson. On offense, the absence of All-America tight end Tyler Warren will also be keenly felt. For a program that has had to scratch and claw to reach the playoffs, finally doing so in 2024 will not stand as a mission accomplished. The Lions took an undeniable step forward but also felt as though they had missed an opportu- nity to go even further. This year's CFP was a starting point for Penn State, not an ending. Even amid the disappointment of a narrow loss, the Nittany Lions understood that they would need to take the right les- sons from their playoff experience and keep moving forward. "The sun will come up tomorrow," Franklin said. "The one thing I want to make sure that all those guys do is walk out of that locker room with their heads high and their chests out, because they have a ton to be proud of. "There are about 128 teams that would give their right arm to have the season that we just had. It doesn't feel that way right now, but there's a ton to be proud of." Soon enough, the Nittany Lions will believe it. ■ Even before Penn State began its playoff run, quarter- back Drew Allar announced he would be coming back for his senior season in 2025. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Returning Players Help Penn State Turn The Page