Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538407
3 8 S E P T E M B E R 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 the technicality that he's already broken out at the Power Four level, having caught 84 passes for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns at Syracuse last year. 4. Kyron Hudson | WR Hudson was a starting wide receiver at USC last season, but he was not a focal point of the offense. The 6-1, 215-pounder finished fifth among the Tro- jans' wideouts (and sixth among all pass catchers) with 64 tar- gets in a pass-happy offense. Receivers Zachariah Branch, Ja'Kobi Lane, Duce Robinson and Makai Lemon all saw more targets despite Hudson leading the wideout corps with 361 total receiving snaps. Seeking a better opportunity to establish his NFL credentials, Hudson transferred to Penn State last winter. While there's no guarantee he'll be the Nittany Lions' top target on offense, he certainly won't be fifth. The coaching staff is holding an open audition in August to figure out who will lead the passing game and be the face of PSU's air attack alongside Allar. Hudson has been one of the team's most consis- tent players this offseason. It's possible that Hudson won't emerge as the team's top receiver target, let alone its top overall target. That's why he's closer to the bottom of our list. But he's shown breakout potential at a position group with no established stars blocking his path to the field. 5. Nolan Rucci | OT Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein mentioned multiple times this offseason that he's toyed with the idea of playing last year's right tackle, Anthony Donkoh, at guard. A breakout performer during the first half of the 2024 season, Donkoh began his career at left guard before mov- ing to tackle late in his redshirt freshman campaign. If you follow along with that idea, it means Rucci would be seeing an increase in reps at right tackle. Trautwein hasn't said Donkoh won't play tackle as a red- shirt sophomore this fall, but he could see some reps inside to give Rucci a spot on the field. In his first season at Penn State after transferring from Wisconsin, Rucci en- tered games mostly in cleanup duty or injury relief before taking over on a full- time basis when Donkoh's season ended against Minnesota on Nov. 23. Rucci then played very well in the postseason, earning a 75.6 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus over Penn State's last four games. Given that history, there's ample reason to believe the 6-8, 307-pound red- shirt senior will have a standout year this fall. The reason he's at the bottom of our list is because we don't yet know what the ro- tation and snap share will look like. Rucci has just one season remaining at the col- lege level, so it stands to reason that Penn State will give him every opportunity to make a name for himself and gain the at- tention of NFL scouts. DEFENSE 1. A.J. Harris | CB The Penn State secondary figures to benefit greatly from coordina- tor Jim Knowles' system, which puts less pressure on the defen- sive backs to play in press looks all the time. By playing off, especially in third-and-long situations, the DBs will have a better chance to break on passes and get counting stats. No one combines the nec- essary tools to be a shutdown player in this system more than Harris. The former Georgia cornerback is faster than you think for a 6-1, 191-pounder. He plays with a physicality and tenacity that will allow Knowles to use him as a press player when desired, but he still has the downhill trigger to play in off and zone coverage. Harris' biggest weakness last season was a tendency to be overly aggressive at the line of scrimmage when trying to jam players. Now, he'll presumably be in that situation less often. If you combine the opportunity for more plays on the football with fewer opportunities to make that specific mistake, you have the makings of a breakout star. Harris could even be the elusive first-ever Penn State defensive back taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. He's got that level of talent. 2. Tony Rojas | LB For nearly a full calendar year, we've been defending Rojas as a player who doesn't get enough credit. The versatile linebacker played through a shoulder injury in 2024 that limited his abilities, and while he struggled at times, there's no doubting his potential. He's in line for a breakout junior year if he can stay healthy and prove he didn't pick up bad habits while playing hurt in 2024. Franklin told BWI earlier this summer that Rojas "has got a chance to be spe- cial" in 2025. "With his injury, there were some games last year where he looked great, and there were other games where he didn't look to the standard I think he has for himself," Franklin said. "But he's Cornerback A.J. Harris earned an 81.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last sea- son, tops among Penn State's defensive backs and third-best on the team. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS