5 thoughts on Penn State as it heads into a season with championship expectations
Penn State is just over a week away from embarking on the biggest season of the James Franklin era. The Nittany Lions and their head coach are one of the favorites to win not just the Big Ten, but the national title. And with fall camp nearly over, it’s time to look at the big picture.
Here are five thoughts on Penn State heading into the 2025 season.
1. Drew Allar is ready to take the next step
Criticisms of Allar have become easy to recite with how much he’s been talked about in the offseason — doesn’t show up in the big games, doesn’t layer his passes well enough, too often his footwork falls apart unnecessarily. All fair, but all fixable. And thus far in fall camp some of the improvement is already showing.
Allar has been much better at lofting his passes when he needs to, and driving them when necessary, signs that he should be able to layer his throws.
But the other issues will be TBD until the games start. And the big game performances will be criticized until at least the Oregon game in late September, and maybe until the Ohio State matchup in early November. Those big game problems are already nebulous enough — is it Allar’s fault the team loses or is the team’s overall talent level usually not up to snuff with their opponents — that questions will linger long into the season regardless. Allar, in year three as a starter, has a chance to put together one of the best seasons in Penn State history.
2. Jim Knowles can elevate an already elite defense
There isn’t a better defensive coordinator in college football than Knowles, and while some immediately questioned the hire because of his salary and an already-elite Penn State defense, there’s still plenty he can do to push the Nittany Lions over the top. Most of that lies in his scheme versatility. Knowles is willing to mix and match his coverages and pass rushing plans, tailoring them each week to the opponent in question. And that’s where Penn State has fallen short in the past.
Too often the defense came up short in the biggest moments, even if it had put together a great performance to that point. That includes the Ohio State game when the Buckeyes salted away the clock with a long drive. And the Big Ten title game when the defense was consistently carved up against Oregon. And even against Notre Dame when the defense allowed the Fighting Irish to hit on a big play late in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
Knowles is here to prevent those moments and push this team past its best opponents.
3. The wide receivers are going to be much better...
Of course, it would be hard for them to be worse. But this isn’t about marginal improvement. This is about the wide receivers being good enough to win Penn State some games this season. That starts at the top with transfer portal additions Devonte Ross, Trebor Peña and Kyron Hudson. Those three offer very different skill sets and can contribute as legitimate starter-level talents. Ross is a big-play weapon who uses his quickness to create separation to get open, and then again to avoid tacklers in the open field. Peña is an ideal slot receiver, operating in the middle of the field with savvy route-running that gets him open. Hudson is the most physical of the three, winning with strength at the catch point and using his power to beat press coverage off the line of scrimmage.
And it goes beyond those three. Koby Howard is primed to make an impact as a true freshman and has a chance to be a legitimate No. 1 option down the road for Penn State. Liam Clifford should be able to contribute as a reliable option for Allar. And there are a litany of other receivers who will have a chance to step up — but the top group alone is a far cry from where the top of the depth chart stood at the end of the 2024 season, and should allow offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to be even more creative this season.
4. ...But the offense will still rely on the running game
Allar will be better, and so will the receivers, but this is still an offense that wants to dominate physically in the trenches — and it’s going to. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are the best running back duo in the country and will both have a chance to break the program’s career rushing record this year.
And they’re going to be helped by what could be the best offensive line in the country, one that features at least six NFL-level talents. That group is going to pave the way for what should be some monstrous games on the ground this year.
But make no mistake about it, the passing game will still need to help it out — even if it’s only to create hesitation on the defensive end, with linebackers and defensive backs hesitating on play action passes, or taking a timid step on a run play out of fear that it’s a pass. The offense should marry up nicely with both aspects complementing each other well this year, but in those big moments it will still be Singleton and Allen leading the way.
5. The Nittany Lions are as good as any team in the country
All of the above is indicative of one thing — this is a team that can win a national title, and could easily be considered the favorite to do so. The defense is going to be elite. As in, the best defense in the country. The offense is immensely talented with an identity and weapons to make defenses pay in a myriad of ways. It should be elite too, even if it’s in more of a top-five sense. Kotelnicki and Knowles are two of the best in the country at game planning and play calling. The schedule is difficult but doable, with two likely top-five matchups — one at home against Oregon and one on the road against Ohio State.
The team is so good that the College Football Playoff is a given. And frankly, a win or two in it should be too. It’s just a matter of the Nittany Lions proving they’re made for the moment and coming away with victories in the absolute biggest games. There is little doubt that this season could cement the legacy of several key figures at Penn State — namely Franklin and Allar — for better or for worse. And where things stand right now, it’s hard to envision it not being for better.
