On3 Roundtable: Window is now for Penn State in College Football Playoff race

There’s been plenty of hype around Penn State this offseason. The Nittany Lions have plenty of production returning and made some high-profile additions that could help make them a contender atop the Big Ten in 2023.

As BWI’s Sean Fitz told On3’s J.D. PicKell on On3 Rountable, Penn State has a window of opportunity for the taking.

“I think they see this as a window where they have the possibility of getting into the Playoff — not necessarily sneaking into the playoff, but getting into the playoff,” Fitz said. “You’re going to play Michigan and Ohio State every year. It’s going to be a two-game season for the most part. No disrespect to to the other programs, but that’s what it always comes down to for the Nittany Lions. So I do think that they have the ability to do so.”

Penn State has some key playmakers coming back on offense, headlined by quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nick Singleton. Allar got some looks last year behind Sean Clifford and is competing with Beau Pribula for the starting job. Singleton, meanwhile, emerged as an instrumental part of the run game as a true freshman, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

But the Nittany Lions also made some big additions, notably at wide receiver. Dante Cephas is in from the transfer portal after a strong career at Kent State, which saw him finish with 2,139 yards and 12 touchdowns over four years. That helped make him the No. 18-ranked transfer to hit the portal this cycle, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

Add in KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who had 389 yards and four touchdowns last season, and Fitz said things are looking good for Penn State at wideout. However, consistency will be key.

“They’re going to have to get more consistent at receiver,” Fitz said. “KeAndre Lambert-Smith is a great prospect in terms of potential. They’re bringing in Dante Cephas from the transfer portal out of Kent State. He was amazingly productive out there for the Golden Flashes. So they’ve got some pieces, they’ve got some good tight ends, they’ve got that running game. They’ve got elements of a really, really good football team. Schedule is pretty solid. Of course, you’re gonna run through the Big Ten. You’ll get West Virginia as your marquee out of conference game, so they should be OK there.

“It all boils down to those two games. You go to Columbus, which is always treacherous for anybody. And then, you get Michigan at home, which it’s kind of been a home-and-home series with the exception of two years ago. So I think that they have that potential to get there. I think they have a deeper, more talented roster than they’ve had in a long time and they’ve had success even without some of the depth that they’ve had in the past. Coming off that Rose Bowl win against Utah, they’ve got some momentum. I can see why people are picking them to be a dark horse in that Playoff race.”