Receiving Production
Heading into 2025, Penn State will be replacing Tyler Warren, Harrison Wallace III, Omari Evans, and Julian Fleming. These four players combined for 185 receptions, 2,544 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
Tyler Warren also rushed for 218 yards and 4 TDs on 8.4 yards per carry. Replacing Tyler Warren is a seemingly impossible challenge in itself. Warren had one of the best seasons from a tight end in recent memory.
Headlining Penn State’s receiving group will be three transfers- Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross. Pena totaled 941 yards and 9 TDs at Syracuse in 2024. Hudson totaled 462 yards and 3 TDs at USC. Ross totaled 1,043 yards and 11 TDs at Troy. Penn State also returns Liam Clifford at wide receiver, who produced 286 yards in 2024.
The projected starting tight end is Khalil Dinkins, who totaled 122 yards and 2 TDs in 2024. How will the Nittany Lions’ offense operate through the air without Tyler Warren?
Edge Rush
Penn State returns Dani Dennis-Sutton on one edge, who totaled 8.5 sacks and 13 TFLs in 2024. However, on the other side, the Nittany Lions must replace Abdul Carter. Carter totaled a whopping 12 sacks and 24 TFLs in 2024 and had a solid argument as the nation’s best defender.
Outside of Dennis-Sutton, Penn State’s edge rotation is projected to consist of Zuriah Fisher, Enai White, and Jaylen Harvey. Fisher posted 3.5 sacks in 2023 while missing the entire 2024 season with injury. Enai White has played in 13 games over 3 seasons, totaling 2 sacks. Jaylen Harvey posted 2 tackles in 2024.
Dennis-Sutton will hear his name called relatively early in the NFL Draft next spring, but Penn State will need to find production at its other edge position.
Drew Allar
Penn State faced 6 ranked opponents in 2024. In those 6 games, Drew Allar’s stat lines were: 15/21, 135 yards vs. Illinois; 12/20, 146 yards, 1 INT vs. Ohio State; 20/39, 226 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs vs. Oregon; 13/22, 127 yards vs. SMU; 13/25, 171 yards, 3 TDs vs. Boise State; 12/23, 135 yards, 1 INT vs. Notre Dame.
In 6 ranked matchups, Drew Allar’s averages were 57%, 157 yards per game, 6 TDs, and 4 INTs. It’s time for Drew Allar to match big-time games with big-time production. 2024 was Allar’s second season as the starter, and he showed few signs of progression. His completion percentage and yardage increased; however, his interceptions quadrupled from 2 to 8. What happened in his development to make him see the field worse in his second season?
Allar can be found in the first round of every NFL mock draft. But his performances against Top 25 teams must improve if he wishes to maintain his draft stock.
The Big Games
Over the last two seasons, Penn State has played eight games versus teams ranked in the Top 25 in the 247 Sports’ Composite Team Talent Rankings. Penn State is 2-6 in those games. In those two seasons, Penn State has ranked 13th and 11th in those talent rankings.
The Nittany Lions’ two wins were against SMU in the College Football Playoff and USC, a 7-6 team that Penn State beat in overtime.
Is it Drew Allar’s performance in big games holding Penn State back? Is it James Franklin? In a playoff system that now requires multiple wins for a national title, Penn State needs to figure out how to win its big games.
