Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
6 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 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 secured its first win of the 2025 season before the 2024 College Football Playoff had even started. Two days after the Nittany Lions lost the Big Ten title game to Oregon, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki put to rest any concerns that he would be leaving for a head coaching job at West Virginia or anywhere else. "Beyond lucky to be a part of the Penn State Football Family," Kotel- nicki wrote. "Still a lot to accomplish this season, and I am looking forward to what 2025 has in store for our pro- gram!" At a press conference a few days later, Kotelnicki explained his decision in more detail. "I enjoy, first and foremost, the play- ers that I get to coach on a daily basis," he said Dec. 16. "Working with Coach Franklin has been awesome, and the offensive staff that I work with is elite. Just a really easy decision, quite can- didly." Kotelnicki's return had to be an enormous relief for head coach James Franklin, who that same day foreshad- owed the roster-retainment wins that were on the horizon. "[Kotelnicki's] decision was big for a lot of reasons," Franklin said. "It's big because you don't want to be deal- ing with this during the playoff run. You don't want to be dealing with this when you've got players deciding what their futures are. Obviously, these men and women impact that, too. So, for a lot of reasons, it's been good." In the month that followed, a num- ber of players announced their own decisions about the future. Quarterback Drew Allar said he would be returning for his senior sea- son. So, too, did 1,000-yard rushers Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Al- len, a development that stunned the many onlookers who thought at least one would either enter the NFL Draft or look for a solo starring role via the transfer portal. Aside from guard Sal Wormley, who is out of eligibility, the Lions return all of their starting offensive line and a good chunk of the three-deep from 2024. It's true that All-America tight end Tyler Warren cannot come back and will be tough to replace. And yes, re- ceivers Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans hit the portal after Penn State added transfers Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross in December as preemp- tive replacements. All told, though, Kotelnicki's decision started a domino effect that put the Penn State offense in good shape in most areas looking ahead to the 2025 season. On the opposite side of the ball, a number of key seniors-to-be — namely, defensive ends Dani Dennis- Sutton and Smith Vilbert, defensive tackle Zane Durant and safety Zakee Wheatley — all bypassed opportunities to enter the draft. Even with the team still seeking a de- fensive coordinator as of mid-January following Tom Allen's departure for Clemson, Penn State was be- ing given the fifth-best odds to win the 2026 College Football Playoff and is sure to be a top- five choice when the preseason polls come out. PSU will be ex- pected to play like a team that commands that kind of attention in the fall. After all, almost to a man, every player who an- nounced his return did so by cit- ing "unfinished business." "We have accomplished a lot here, and we took another big step forward this season," Single- ton wrote on social media, echo- ing the tone of many of his fellow returnees. "But we know we are capable of being even better. "We still have goals we want to reach as a team, and I want to be alongside my teammates as we reach those goals." It can't just be talk, though. It must lead to action that backs it up. Franklin is fond of saying that an ac- cumulation of little wins leads to big- ger wins. Penn State got most of the off-the-field victories it was seeking at the start of the offseason. That will make the pressure to win big in 2025 enormous and perhaps as high as it's ever been during Franklin's decade- plus in State College. The coach has long wished for ad- ministrative alignment at Penn State and for the program to be treated inter- nally and externally like a college foot- ball power. Many of the preconditions for on-field success are now in place. Is it perfect? No. Is it closer than ever before? Yes. And so, even coming off a season that ended in the semifinals, the expectation will be that this team can win the biggest games on the biggest stages and play for the national title. The foundation for the 2025 season is now in place. It's time for the build- ing to continue as the latest pivotal off- season begins. Considering what the expectations are for the program this year, there is no time to waste. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Lions Will Look To Complete Their 'Unfinished Business' THE LAST WORD Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki set the tone for Penn State when he announced in December that he would be returning in 2025. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER