By: Greg Maresca

 Photos courtesy of Keith Martin

At least seven keynote players from last year’s Penn State’s football roster could have opted for the NFL draft.  Rather, this past Saturday they were all sitting in the 38-year-old HolubaHall, the indoor practice facility of the Nittany Lions that resembles more of a warehouse than anything else on campus. This group of seven along with their other 98 teammates were waiting on the horde of media to descend upon them and put all the preseason speculation puzzle of Penn State football into ink.  

Quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, offensive lineman Nick Dawkins, defensive tackle Zane Durant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Zakee Wheatley are among the prominent starters from last year who nixed the option to jump to the NFL.  How much of a role that Penn State’s “Spring Portal & Retention Fund” initiative that came 12 days before the spring college football transfer portal window opened on April 16 had in retaining these players no one will talk about.

In a sport driven by ambition and legacy, Penn State finds itself at a crossroads as this wave of players have chosen to stay on campus and continue to compete at the collegiate level. The last time a team made that choice, it ended with dumpsters worth of confetti and a national championship trophy.  As the stakes rise and the tension builds, one question echoes through Happy Valley: Is this the year destiny repeats itself?

The football media assembled in the bowels of the ongoing construction of Beaver Stadium heard from head coach James Franklin, Offensive Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki, Defensive Coordinator: Jim Knowles, and Special Teams Coordinator: Justin Lustig.  

Franklin’s tenure has reached a dozen years at Penn State making him tied with Penn State Hall of Famer Hugo Bezdek for the fourth longest tenured coach in the storied program’s history. Bezdek was the football head coach over a century ago.

Reflecting on the team’s readiness and depth, Franklin wasn’t shy saying, “I think when you look at all of our personnel, not just our players, but staff and players, it’s our best combination we’ve had in my 12 years here.” 

Franklin’s noticeable confidence signals big anticipation and ambitions for the upcoming season. Franklin highlighted a standout summer marked by rigorous training, eye-catching performance metrics, and a steady and seasoned coaching staff.  All the metrics point to a program poised for a season where the Nittany Lion faithful will accept nothing but a national championship.  

Franklin confronted the expectations head on saying, “Ninety-nine percent of the programs in the country would die to be where we’re at.”  It was classic Franklin in recognizing the scrutiny while proudly reaffirming Penn State’s longstanding legacy on the gridiron.

Last year’s narrow miss at a national title — falling just three points short against Notre Dame in the 2024 Orange Bowl — and the curious reality that even with 13 wins, disappointment still lingered among the Nittany Lion faithful. 

From this scribe’s vantage point, Franklin interpreted that high expectation not as a burden, but as a badge of honor, underscoring the program’s select standing throughout college football.

Historically, Franklin struggles under pressure. If Penn State does not garner the national championship criticism will mount but given Franklin’s hefty contract and his winning record over a long career — 101 wins to just 42 losses, multiple bowl victories, and consistent top-10 finishes, Franklin, a native Pennsylvanian, will most likely remain.

Yet, the shine of that success has often been dulled by a stark 1-14 record against top five opponents. Time and again, it has been Michigan and Ohio State standing in the way, keeping Penn State from recapturing its first Big Ten crown since 2016.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar enters the 2025 season as a rising star and a key figure in the Nittany Lions’ national title hopes. After a breakout 2024 campaign with over 3,300 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and improved mobility, Allar has emerged as a true dual-threat leader. His offseason focus on conditioning and speed has impressed coaches, and his resilience—highlighted by a comeback win at USC and a tough playoff loss to Notre Dame—has only strengthened his resolve.  With Penn State ranked among the top teams nationally, Allar is not only the face of the program but also a legitimate Heisman contender who is looking for a consistent group of receivers to throw to.

Three wide receivers currently on the watch list arrived via the transfer portal: Trebor Pena, a former standout at Syracuse; Devonte Ross, who had a breakout season at Troy last year; and Kyron Hudson, a former team captain at USC. These three are generating the bulk of the preseason buzz

“I think the biggest thing is, they are veterans that have already produced in college football,” Franklin said. “[Kyron] Hudson was a captain at his previous institution [USC] [and] had one of the catches of the year against LSU. Senior, veteran, mature. So that’s been valuable for us.  Peña is a sixth-year guy. Same thing, was captain at his last school. He’s got a lot of maturity, got a lot of experience. I think you guys have heard me talk about this before. I compare college football in some ways now to college basketball when the one-and-done started, and you could have a veteran older team make a run, because, as we know, experience and talent matters.”

Penn State Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki fielded some head coaching interest during the offseason, but he is anchored in and with great anticipation. Listening to Kotelnicki, who followed Franklin on the dais, one gets the impression that Happy Valley will not be his last stop on the coaching carousel and that a head coaching job is just a matter of when.   

Jim Knowles, a Philadelphia native and seasoned college football strategist, joined Penn State in the offseason after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. His three-year contract, valued at $3.1 million, makes him the highest-paid coordinator in college football—nearly $1 million more than his previous salary in Columbus. Known for his thoughtful and composed demeanor, Knowles brings a steadying presence to the coaching staff. Amid the intensity of game-day operations, his quiet leadership and longtime experience might be the difference that the Nittany Lions need to get over the hump.

Penn State’s special team’s coordinator and outside linebackers/nickels coach Justin Lustig had a notable playing career at nearby Bucknell as a four-year starter on defense.  Lustig’s coaching philosophy emphasizes competition and depth and has many returning starters at nearly every special teams position.  Ryan Barker (kicker) and Riley Thompson (punter) are in tight battles with younger talent like Matthew Parker and Gabe Nwosu.  Return specialists like Trebor Peña, Devonte Ross, and Zion Tracy will vie for playing time.  The team came within one drive of playing for a national title last year, and Lustig’s attention to detail might be the difference in any close game.  

One variable in the program’s equation that has been a clandestine, but major operator is Penn State football’s general manager, Andy Frank. Frank has played a critical but often unseen and unheralded role.  He has been coach James Franklin’s right-hand man going back to their time at Vanderbilt, and now he is overseeing everything from roster to recruiting to navigating the chaos of NIL (name, image, and likeness), the transfer portal, and revenue sharing.

Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and accurate preseason magazine in the sport and is often referred to as the “Bible of College Football.”   Steele has Penn State winning its first national title since 1986.  Steele added that he expects five Nittany Lions to finish with All-American seasons, including Nick Singleton, Vega Ioane, Zane Durant, Drew Allar, and AJ Harris.

The Nittany Lions will play three non-conference games at home to kick off the 2025 season right before hosting Oregon in the program’s annual White Out game on Sept. 27.  This season the Nittany Lions do not play Michigan ending an 11-game regular season streak, but they will be on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes come Nov. 1 that will be most likely be their football D-Day.