After bowing out in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, Penn State could be going all in for a title in 2025, much like Michigan did in 2023. Do the Nittany Lions have what it takes to pull it off? Let’s look into it:
Penn State put together arguably its best season of the James Franklin era in 2024. Although the Nittany Lions didn’t win a conference title, they were the runner-up in the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff for the first time. They also finished with a 13-3 record, making it all the way to the semifinals before losing to Notre Dame on a last-second field goal.
Things are definitely looking up for Penn State, as it has the chance for similar success during the 2025 season thanks to several key contributors coming back. Much like Michigan did in 2023 and Ohio State did in 2024, the Nittany Lions should enter 2025 as title contenders. It could be the third season in a row a Big Ten team wins it all using an “all in” approach.
Earlier this week, we took a look at Ohio State’s prospects for 2025 to see if the Buckeyes are doomed to fall off. Today, though, we’ll dive deeper into Penn State to see if the Nittany Lions have what it takes to reach the college football mountaintop.
When looking at how Michigan and Ohio State were able to win their recent championships, it starts with their rosters, namely their stars that put NFL futures on hold to run it back. Michigan brought back stars like Blake Corum, Zak Zinter, Kris Jenkins and Mike Sainristil, while Ohio State brought back Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and several others.
Penn State is also bringing back talented upperclassmen. The star running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are back, as are quarterback Drew Allar, and defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. These stars, combined with an experienced offensive line and stout secondary, provide Penn State great foundations on both sides of the ball.
Looking closer at the offense, Singleton and Allen spearheaded Penn State’s attack last year, as both backs topped 1,000 rushing yards and are also big threats in the passing game. Despite losing Harrison Wallace and Tyler Warren in the pass game, Penn State brings in Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross at receiver from the transfer portal. The duo combined for 114 receptions and 1,505 yards at their respective schools in 2024 and should be great targets for Allar.
Penn State’s defense has always been its identity. That shouldn’t change in 2025, but the Nittany Lions have an offense that isn’t a liability like in years past. While it might not be the most explosive unit in the country, it will be efficient and perhaps even better in year two under Andy Kotelnicki, a creative offensive mind that always finds a way to get the ball to his best players.
Edge rusher Abdul Carter leaves big shoes to fill, but the cupboard isn’t bare. Dennis-Sutton is one of the better edge rushers in college football and had 8.5 sacks last year, while Zane Durant should continue to wreak havoc in the middle of the defensive line. Defensive backs A.J. Harris, Zion Tracy and Zakee Wheatley are also back as part of a secondary that held opposing offenses to less than 200 yards passing per game on average in 2024.
The defense held opponents to 16.5 points per game under Tom Allen in 2024, but things are changing with former Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles taking over for Allen. Knowles helped Ohio State limit opponents to 12.9 points per game and has the chance to do the same for Penn State. His hiring — and $3.1 million per year contract — is the type of move that shows the program mean business.
Penn State has the personnel it takes to win a national title, and the schedule helps it out as well. Penn State do face Oregon at home and Ohio State in Columbus, but also get Indiana and Nebraska at home. That’s about it in terms of challenges, as the Nittany Lions get Nevada, FIU and Villanova in the non-conference, while avoiding Michigan, Washington, USC, Wisconsin and Illinois altogether.
Penn State shouldn’t have much trouble reaching the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff once again. But does that mean Penn State will win it all in 2025?
It’s hard to say. The Nittany Lions have the tools and path to get back to the College Football Playoff, but it’s hard to say how they’d matchup with any particular opponents they would face once they get there. It’s no stretch to say they should be considered one of the five best teams in the country heading into the season, which puts them in the mix for the national championship.
While there’s a sizable chunk of college football fans that will write off Franklin and Penn State since they, “can’t win the big game,” but plenty of coaches — including Jim Harbaugh at one point — have taken a long time to get over the hump. Just because it hasn’t happened so far doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen for Franklin.
Penn State has what it takes to get the job done in 2025 — it’ll just be a matter of putting the pieces together and executing on the big stage.