So close! That was the summary of Penn State’s semifinal loss to the Irish. A loss by a field goal. Now, going into the 2025 season, there’s that hope of a repeat of the same, and maybe two steps better! That’ll take some doing. Starting with roster building. The scene is pretty much the same for all the teams. Each team has lost a chunk of players in the portal. Some have moved to the draft. Before the spring shapes up, another war is in the mix. James Franklin did a decent job amassing 27 signees to respective positions in a massive recruiting spree. However, as the spring creeps in, a peculiar roster shortcoming is here for the Lions.

Following Penn State’s fourth spring practice on Tuesday night, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin had a media interaction. He seemed to be totally in awe of a pair of young wide receivers, true freshmen Matthew Outten and Lyrick Samuel, and also the development of redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark. All of them showed signs of a championship-caliber team with standout performances. But wait, Penn State is still far from flexing a picture-perfect roster, doubling their hope for a breakout. They look quite shaky in some particular positions, and it’s reeling.

Insider Bob Flounders took some notes from the recent Penn State Pro Day. There were things he didn’t like. Talking to PennLive’s Max Ralph on the March 31 episode of Penn State on Penn Live podcast, Flounders said, “It’s just weird seeing Penn State have question marks at tight end and edge rusher. Because you know, once you get past Dani Dennis Sutton, they like their talent, Max, but you know, until you actually see it. There’s going to be some uncertainty.” 

The insider continued to focus on the passing game. He warned that 1,200-yard TE Tyler Warren’s departure might turn out costly if they can’t replace his yardage. While Khalil Dinkins, Luke Reynolds, and Andrew Rappleyea can still help the Lions cope, they need to be on their toes to thrive in that position.

Another uncertainty Flounders mentioned is on the Edge position. That’s understandable since James Franklin had Abdul Carter in his arsenal, a Micah Parsons archetype who lit up offenses throughout his time at Penn State. “The edge rushers, it’s interesting. Max Granville is near the top of that list. So is Zuriah Fisher, and neither one of those guys has really played a whole lot,” Max Ralph chimes in with his remarks.

Zuriah Fisher missed the 2024 season due to an injury. In 2023, he racked up 17 tackles and 3.5 sacks. However, coming off an injury, we can’t be sure if he’d be able to replicate even 10% of Carter’s production on defense. And that’s not it. Max Ralph also highlighted the gaps in the linebacker position, considering that Kobe King had declared for the draft.

Drew Allar can do wonders for James Franklin if O-line backs him up

Penn State features the most elite coordinator duo, Jim Knowles on the defensive side of the ball and Andy Kotelnicki on the other. They are probably rolling into the nation’s most effective, aggressive, and multifaceted offense. Drew Allar will have an edge as a starter to begin his “main guy” era. Speaking with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman, the coach sounds highly optimistic about the potential growth of the 21-year-old. From history, it’s clear that Allar has come a long way to deserve the starting role, and he is not the one to let it go in vain without a good shot.

“As a freshman, he was our backup quarterback. Got a chance to play some significant time. Made a significant jump. As a sophomore, made another significant jump. As a junior, you look at his numbers, you look at his wins, you look at his completion percentage, you look at his touchdown and interception ratio — it’s off the charts.” Franklin hyped up his guy. While he has room to improve on his decision-making skills, Allar looks like a magic stick for Penn State in 2025.

He significantly improved his ability to make plays with his legs. Franklin considers it one of the key traits of a class QB, even in the NFL. Insider Bob added another pointer to his hope, saying, “If Drew gets a chance to throw it to some quicker guys, I think that’s going to be must-watch.” A lot on the plate for Drew Allar, for sure. But if the other areas of the Penn State offense do a decent job on their ground, the sky is the limit for the Ohio kid.

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