Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
A P R I L 2 0 2 5 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E D I T O R I A L MATT HERB MATT.HERB@ON3.COM D uring his recent appearance at the NFL Scouting Combine, safety Kevin Winston Jr. was asked about the decision he'd made to forgo his final season of college eligibility. Winston's choice was one that many draft-worthy juniors have made over the years, so there was nothing par- ticularly surprising about the decision itself. The surprising part was that so few of his Penn State classmates had followed his lead. The Nittany Lions were coming off a 13-win season in which they reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. One of the keys to their success was a 2022 recruiting class that in- cluded quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, offensive linemen Drew Shelton and Olaivavega Ioane, defensive ends Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, and defensive tackle Zane Durant. All eight of those players earned some form of All-Big Ten notice in 2024. All eight were draft-eligible, yet only one of them — Carter, the league's Defensive Player of the Year — had chosen to join Winston in Indianapolis. "Everybody has to do what they feel is best for them," said Winston, who would likely have been an all-confer- ence performer himself if he hadn't missed most of the season with a leg injury. "Whether they want to prove themselves [in the NFL] or put some more [plays] on film, that's up to them. "I'm proud of them and happy for them. No matter what decision they made, I knew they were either going to come to the NFL and be great players, or they were going to go back [to PSU] and do what they do." That they did the latter is one of the biggest reasons for optimism heading into the 2025 campaign. As the past two CFP winners have proven, game experience is a huge ad- vantage, one that can help a talented team take that final step to the top of the mountain. Two years ago, Michigan benefitted from an effort by its Champions Circle NIL collective to retain draft-eligible players such as running back Blake Corum and offensive lineman Trevor Keegan, among others. Galvanized by the previous year's loss to TCU in the CFP semifinals, the Wol- verines went 15-0 in 2023, with Corum being named the conference's Running Back of the Year. That gaudy record suggests Michigan was a juggernaut, and for the most part, it was. But even juggernauts get into trouble sometimes. Late in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl, the Wolver- ines needed a season-saving play. They trailed Alabama by a touchdown and were facing fourth-and-2 from their own 33-yard line. Naturally, they turned to their veterans, with quarterback J.J. Mc- Carthy throwing to Corum for a 27-yard gain. That's what experience does for you. It gives players the confidence to execute when the stakes are highest. Ohio State did much the same this past year. A key part of its championship run occurred before the season even began when it used its NIL war chest to bring back defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, cornerback Denzel Burke, receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreVeyon Henderson, all of whom would likely have been top-100 draft picks had they left early. It was telling that Ohio State had only four players drafted a year ago. That figure was well below the 8.2 selections they had averaged over the previous five drafts. Instead of toiling away in NFL training camps, all that professional- grade talent was still in Columbus, elevating a roster that former coach Urban Meyer described last summer as perhaps the most talented in the pro- gram's history. And when the Buckeyes needed those players to be difference-makers, they delivered. Their make-or-break moment came in the fourth quarter of the CFP semifinals against Texas. The Longhorns were at Ohio State's 8-yard line with a chance to tie the score in the final min- utes when Sawyer slammed into quar- terback Quinn Ewers on fourth-and- goal, forcing a fumble that the senior edge rusher picked up and toted 92 yards for the touchdown that sent Ohio State to the championship game. If Penn State is going to vie for the national title this fall, it's surely go- ing to need a few plays like that. The last time it won the crown, in 1986, its defense was anchored by a player who had been torn over whether to return to school or leave for the NFL. That player — All-America linebacker Shane Con- lan — was an instrumental part of Penn State's 12-0 season, anchoring a defense that didn't allow a single opponent to reach 20 points. He had 8 tackles and 2 interceptions in the Fiesta Bowl against top-ranked Miami, spearheading PSU's 14-10 victory. Is there another Shane Conlan on this year's team? With the title game still 10 months away, it's impossible to know. We do know this, however: There are plenty of candidates, and that in itself bodes well. ■ Quarterback Drew Allar was one of numerous veteran players who opted to forgo the NFL to return to Penn State in 2025. MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Returning Seniors Boost Penn State's Outlook This Fall VARSITY VIEWS