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What are the 2 biggest ‘what ifs’ facing Penn State in 2025? You can probably guess them

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•07/25/25•

GregPickel

Penn State QB Drew Allar
Matthew O'Haren | Imagn Images

Penn State news, notes, and updates for July 23 include two questions the Lions must answer to be the best version of themselves this fall, headlines of the day, and more. ESPN analyst Bill Connelly recently broke down the top two questions facing numerous top 25 teams. The answers to them will determine who will have a chance to play for the College Football Playoff championship early next year. The two he went with for James Franklin’s program should be easy to figure out. The first one focuses on senior quarterback Drew Allar.

“Allar improved significantly from 2023 to 2024, finishing 17th in QBR,” Connelly writes. “That’s good, but the past six title winners have had QBs ranked fourth or higher. Here are some key differences between Allar’s 2024 performance and the averages produced by last season’s top four:

  • Completion rate: Top four 70.7%, Allar 66.5%
  • Yards per completion: Top four 13.1, Allar 12.7
  • Passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield: Top four 12.4%, Allar 8.7%
  • Yards per dropback against man coverage: Top four 8.7, Allar 7.2

Allar’s stats aren’t too far from where they need to be. If he completes one more pass per every 24 or so he throws, if he has a reason to take a few more shots downfield and if he can better beat man coverage — the type you see a lot from the CFP-level teams — Penn State will have everything it needs for a big run.

The second ‘what if’ focuses on — you guessed it — the receivers.

More: Depth, talent, and experience: Inside James Franklin’s confidence in the 2025 Nittany Lions

With so many returnees, Franklin didn’t need to do much portal work this offseason, but he did all he could to upgrade the receiving corps,” Connelly writes. “In came Troy’s Devonte Ross, Syracuse’s Trebor Pena and USC’s Kyron Hudson, who combined for 2,446 yards and 23 TDs last season. Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds should be able to deliver tight end efficiency in All-American Tyler Warren’s absence, but among Ross, Pena, Hudson and perhaps returnees such as Liam Clifford, Kaden Saunders and maybe Tyseer Denmark, Allar needs a couple of guys he can trust to beat the defenders across from them and make big plays.”

You can read the full story here.

Penn State headlines of the day

Family connection makes Penn State a ‘significant’ offer for Malvern Prep Ath. Cade Cooper: Snyder, BWI

Does Penn State have five defensive tackles it feels it can win with? James Franklin weighs in: Pickel, BWI

Top Penn State sights, sounds, and quotes from Big Ten Media Days: Pickel, BWI

With Tony Petitti’s College Football Playoff format, TV money matters more than records: McMurphy, On3

Quote of the day

“Yes, I think we do. But to your point, I think some of it is based on potential, right? Obviously, in my mind, you got Zane Durant, who I think is not being talked about enough as one of the best defensive tackles in college football, and then you got Alonzo Ford that a lot of people aren’t talking about, and that was a big loss for us last year. So getting him back, and then there’s that kind of next group of guys.

“Xavier Gilliam has had an unbelievable offseason, and we think he has a chance to be special. And then you put [Owen] Wafle in that category, and [Ty] Blanding in that category. And that’s five guys I think we have a lot of confidence in, but they got to do it on a consistent basis.”

PSU coach James Franklin on whether or not his team has five defensive tackles it can win with in 2025.

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