Penn State vs. Nevada: Final thoughts and analysis of PSU’s season opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State debuts new transfer receivers after a no-catch playoff performance.
- Backup reps for Grunkemeyer indicate long-term strategy beyond 2025 season.
- Freshmen Dixson and Coleman earn key defensive roles, signaling early impact.
Penn State opens its 2025 season with a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium against Nevada. The Nittany Lions will play the Wolf Pack in Week 1 of the college football season. Here are some final thoughts and predictions ahead of the matchup.
Wide receiver improvement will be on display
This will be the thing that’s front of mind for most Penn State fans heading into Saturday’s game, and for good reason. The Nittany Lions last took the field in Miami in January in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame — and there were zero receptions by Penn State wide receivers in that game. And the most crucial play of the game was an interception thrown by quarterback Drew Allar on a play where his wide receiver, Omari Evans, stopped running his route. Evans is now gone, as is then-No. 1 receiver Harrison Wallace III and in their stead are three new transfers.
Trebor Peña, Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross will be tasked with making Nittany Lion fans forget how bad the production was at the position last year. All three should be on the field plenty Saturday, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if each has a quality moment in the game that proves this group is different. And even if they don’t, the trio’s ability to get open should be enough to have fans excited about what they can become this season.
Important reps at quarterback
Penn State head coach James Franklin didn’t name a backup quarterback at his Monday press conference, but said he planned on telling the players involved — Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer — what the decision would be later that day. The reps have been tilting in Grunkemeyer’s favor lately, and it would be a surprise if he wasn’t the primary backup to Allar. While that could change from week to week, it’s important that he gets as many reps as possible against the Wolf Pack. That doesn’t just mean mop-up duty in a blowout — it means designating an early second half series or two to the backup playing with the rest of the team’s starters.
There’s a precedent for Franklin doing that, too. He made sure Allar was prepared as a true freshman by getting him real reps in games the Nittany Lions were expected to win by a wide margin. Grunkemeyer or Smolik getting similar reps, even potentially in the first half, could have a significant impact on the future of the program. There’s the obvious benefit of being more ready if Allar had to miss time, but the 2026 one would be even more important. For the first time in three years the Nittany Lions will have a new starter next season, and it remains to be seen if it will be Grunkemeyer, Smolik or a player on another roster that joins in the transfer portal. The more reps this year’s backup gets, the better idea Franklin and his staff will have of what they need to do at the position next season.
Defensive freshmen should show promise
Franklin only named two players as “green lights” ahead of the game (freshmen who won’t redshirt this season) and both are defenders. Cornerback Daryus Dixson and defensive end Chaz Coleman earned the distinction with very different timelines, but both should contribute. Dixson enrolled in January and has a full spring ball under his belt, taking reps against Penn State’s receivers when he should have been a high school senior. His ability to crack the rotation says a lot about his talent level, considering corner is one of the deepest positions on the team, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him as the team’s fourth outside cornerback.
Coleman enrolled in the summer but quickly impressed with his size and athleticism. He should be able to make an impact as a pass rusher this season and will have a chance to get reps against Nevada — putting his traits on display against an offensive line that should struggle with his speed. Fellow end Yvan Kemajou is currently a “yellow light” (a player who could redshirt but has a chance to earn his way onto the field more) but could see time on Saturday. Their performances as rotation players this weekend could dictate what their playing time is this season — especially for Kemajou.
Final predictions
Penn State 52, Nevada 7: This game isn’t going to be close, it’s just a matter of how much Penn State wins by. And that will largely be dictated by how early Franklin decides to pull his starters. I’m guessing he gets most of them out in the third quarter and the Nittany Lions continue to cruise — but give up a late touchdown to lose the shutout.
MVP: Kyron Hudson. All eyes will be on the wide receivers Saturday, and I’d anticipate them getting plenty of targets early on. Hudson has a chance to be the team’s No. 1 option this weekend, especially with Ross still recovering from an offseason injury. I’ll say the former USC receiver hauls in six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown — all of which comes in the first half.
The last word
Penn State center Nick Dawkins on what the offseason has been like:
“I would say, and I’ve said this before — it is no longer and it is not the idea of proving other people wrong. It is the idea of proving ourselves right. We have put countless amount of time, put so much time into the process. And what is the process? Consistent and daily deposits of work, consistent daily deposits of intentional effort into being the best. So you add those. They compound, it’s like interest. You compound every single day, the work, the intention, the study, the film, the investment into your body, and what do you have? The byproduct of all that in training camp. We’ve been going against each other. I said it before, iron sharpens iron. As a good man does a good man. As a good friend does a good friend. We have the most cohesive group in the country. I will take that to the bank and run with it. So I am just super, super excited to see the byproduct of all that intention, of all that effort, of all that work combining into this season.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 9:35 AM.
