Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535618
J U N E / J U L 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 T he post-spring flood of college foot- ball content has arrived in earnest, and unsurprisingly, Penn State is at the center of the conversation. With expectations rising, sports media outlets and personalities have been placing the Nittany Lions among the top contenders to win a national championship in 2025. Penn State was third in CBS Sports' post-spring top 25, and On3's J.D. PicK- ell also placed the Nittany Lions third. Over at 247Sports, Brad Crawford com- piled a composite top 25 based on six ballots within the network, ranking Penn State No. 2 overall. Most notably, FOX analyst Joel Klatt had PSU at No. 1. This consensus is premature by na- ture. There's still plenty of work ahead, and much can change for the Nittany Lions and everyone else before the sea- son begins. But it's worthwhile to think about where expectations should be for the Nittany Lions, because the impetus behind this post-spring push is some- what misguided. Coming off a 13-3 season that in- cluded a College Football Playoff semi- final appearance, the Lions bring back a nucleus that includes six key seniors in quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, de- fensive tackle Zane Durant and safety Zakee Wheatley. Their return has jus- tifiably inspired confidence. Here's a sample of what's fueling the hype: From 247Sports: "James Franklin's program garnered four second-place votes — the most in the field — and ended up as the Big Ten's top-rated team coming out of spring. … The Nittany Lions welcome back a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, a quarterback with sights set on becoming the No. 1 pick, and many de- fensive starters looking to make a name for themselves following the exit of Ab- dul Carter." From CBS Sports: "Much like Ohio State a year ago, Penn State has gone all-in on the upcoming season, retain- ing quarterback Drew Allar, adding the portal's top receiver — Syracuse's Trebor Pena — and hiring Ohio State's Jim Knowles, the nation's top defensive coordinator. The key is receiver, which has been a glaring weakness over the last three years. Might Pena, a 1,000-yard receiver, spark the group?" From Klatt: "The only question was at wide receiver for James Franklin. We saw how bad it was at wide receiver last year. In the loss to Notre Dame, they got zero catches from their wide receivers. Zero catches. That's incredible. So, they brought in three wide receivers. Kyron Hudson, redshirt senior from USC. Tre- bor Pena from Syracuse. Love him, All- ACC slot receiver. You've got Devonte Ross, All-Sun Belt receiver from Troy. Reinforcements. I think they're going to be better at wide receiver." The rationale for optimism is valid. Retaining players who could have turned pro is, in many ways, the blueprint for success in modern college football. Still, a number of legitimate personnel ques- tions were left unanswered post-spring. What's the impact of losing Abdul Carter? How will the team fare in re- placing Tom Allen with Knowles? What happens to Andy Kotelnicki's offensive system in Year 2, particularly without do-it-all tight end Tyler Warren? Two particularly important questions remain unresolved. 1. Is Penn State's receiver overhaul a real upgrade? With seniors Pena, Ross, Hudson and Liam Clifford presumably leading the way, can this unit significantly outper- form last year's corps? How much of an upgrade are they? Pena might have been among the top receivers to hit the portal in the spring, but he's No. 21 according to On3's national rankings for the entire offseason transfer cycle. Ross is 36th. Hudson is 42nd. 2. Can Penn State beat a top-five op- ponent? How about several top-five op- ponents in the same season? These questions have been asked end- lessly, but they remain central to any na- tional title hopes. The past four national championship seasons suggest the Nit- tany Lions will need to beat at least three, likely more, if they hope to end up on top. In 2021 and '22, Georgia beat a com- bined total of six top-five foes en route to back-to-back titles. The following year, Michigan topped No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Alabama and No. 2 Washington. Last year, Ohio State beat No. 3 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas and No. 5 Notre Dame. Over the past three seasons, one of the most successful stretches in program history, Penn State has gone 34-8. Of those eight losses, however, seven were to top-five teams, including three to Ohio State and two to Michigan. Looking ahead, the Nittany Lions will host Oregon on Sept. 27 and travel to Co- lumbus for a Nov. 1 date with Ohio State. The Ducks and Buckeyes have lofty ex- pectations of their own this season, and both will offer opportunities for Penn State to change the narrative. Until the Lions prove they can win those types of games, projecting a na- tional title run, let alone expecting one, warrants a bit of healthy skepticism. ■ Penn State added senior Kyron Hudson from USC to bolster a receiver corps that struggled the past several seasons. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Expectations Have Risen, But Big Questions Remain