Twelve years in, James Franklin has built Penn State into a model of consistency—but not necessarily contention. Six double-digit win seasons in 11 tries and a 6-6 record in Bowl and CFP games have made the Nittany Lions a perennial Top-15 team. Yet for all the solid returns, there’s an unshakable sense that this version of Penn State is standing at a crossroads. Entering the 2025 season, with rosters stacking up, expectations peaking, and the Big Ten undergoing a seismic power shift, there’s one prevailing feeling in Happy Valley: it’s now or never. This could very well be their best chance at a national championship since 1986—and perhaps their last before college football’s next realignment wave.

So James Franklin, never one to play it safe, made his move—and it starts with the guys who stayed. Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Nick Dawkins are all running it back, setting the stage for the kind of veteran-laden title push we’ve seen recently from Michigan in 2023 and Ohio State in 2024. But the big headline? Franklin’s triple move for Allar, a senior now, who had a glaring gap in his support cast last year. “This is an ugly stat that’s been repeated a bunch this offseason in State College,” 247 Sports’ Tyler Donohue said on CBS Sports, “but no receiver catches in that Orange Bowl national semi-final loss to Notre Dame. And that’s been a big deal to deal with all offseason.” The remedy? Three new wideouts with three very different resumes—but one shared mission: make Allar dangerous.

• Kyron Hudson: The USC transfer was the first domino. A former Trojan starter who caught a touchdown against Penn State last season, Hudson brings size and Pac-12 polish.
• Devonte Ross: A 1,000-yard weapon from Troy who ranked top 20 nationally in yards per game. His jump to Big Ten ball is a leap, but his production as both a receiver and punt returner suggests he won’t blink.
• Trebor Pena: The postspring crown jewel. As a former Syracuse standout, he logged over 80 catches and 10 touchdowns last season, earning All-ACC honors and giving Penn State a legitimate WR1 threat. “He was the big prize out there in the receiver market,” Donohue said. “A guy who came up big in some key moments.”

All this after losing their top two wideouts to the transfer portal—though few inside the program shed tears over that departure. “I don’t think there’s a lot of love lost in that situation considering what that group failed to do last year and what they think this group could do to help boost up Drew Allar in year four,” Donohue added. It’s clear Franklin wasn’t interested in a reshuffle—this was a retool. And not just on offense.

Off the field, James Franklin doubled down, green-lighting a bold $3 million per year investment in new DC Jim Knowles. Widely viewed as one of the best defensive minds in the country. Combine that with the addition of Andy Kotelnicki on offense, and PSU might just boast the top coordinator duo in CFB. “That’s getting the green light to go spend more than $3 million a year on his new coordinator, Jim Knowles,” Donohue said. “That’s going out and getting Stan Drayton, one of the most highly coveted running back coaches in the country… That’s being able to find the NIL finances to go and add a Trebor Pena, the most coveted wide receiver in the postspring transfer portal.”

Franklin’s bet isn’t just about 2025—it’s about validating the entire tenure. With the No. 15 recruiting class for 2025 and currently sitting at No. 4 for 2026, the talent pipeline is as strong as ever. But results matter. “Here in Happy Valley, this is year 12 for James Franklin,” Donohue said. “It’s my ninth year covering this team. There has never been as much open discussion about national championship goals, Big Ten championship goals. That’s a big deal.” The roster retention mirrors Michigan’s in 2023 and Ohio State’s in 2024. The additions are deliberate. The path is clear.

James Franklin gets his FPI grades

Penn State may have made all the right offseason moves, but the FPI is keeping the Nittany Lions grounded—for now. Despite the buzz surrounding James Franklin’s squad, they enter the summer locked in at No. 5 in ESPN’s early June FPI rankings, the exact same position they held in the final AP Top 25 of the 2024 season. So, yes—steady progress, but still chasing the top tier.

According to ESPN’s predictive model, which weighs teams’ relative strengths and projects future performance, PSU sits just behind Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama. But there’s optimism in the numbers. The Nittany Lions have a 63.8 percent chance of making the CFP and a 7.6 percent shot at capturing the national title. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

The FPI also projected a win total of 10.2, just a hair-of-a-distance behind Ohio State’s 10.4. Interestingly, even with a loaded offense returning, Penn State slipped two spots to No. 6 overall in offensive FPI. On the flip side, the defense, despite losing some veteran presence, actually climbed a spot to No. 7.