Penn State Football Power Rankings: Which Position Is the Nittany Lions' Best?

Outside of potential star Zakee Wheatley, the safety room lacks depth. Dejuan Lane and King Mack are competing for the strong safety position in camp but must get up to speed quickly. Outside of those three, no one is proven. Antoine Belgrave-Shorter is a converted cornerback, Vaboue Toure is in the mix at strong safety and Kolin Dinkins is a former walk-on who also will play special teams. 

9. Linebackers

Linebacker could be a blind spot for Penn State. Outside of Tony Rojas, Amare Campbell and Dom DeLuca, the backups are inexperienced, and coordinator Jim Knowles is looking for a few players to emerge with that trio. 

Both Campbell and DeLuca are middle linebackers and will compete for that role but are also likely to share playing time. The top three are solid, especially in a two-linebacker defense, but the Nittany Lions need a bit more here.

8. Special teams

Franklin said at Big Ten Media Days that special teams can win games for Penn State, and coordinator Justin Lustig believes his group has “good depth at all positions” and could be one of the Nittany Lions’ strengths.

Notably, Penn State returns its kicker (Ryan Barker), punter (Riley Thompson), kickoff specialist (Gabriel Nwosu), long snapper (Tyler Duzansky) and kickoff return specialist (Nicholas Singleton). Add some of the new receivers to Tracy on punt returns, and this group should help Penn State win games.

7. Wide receivers

Franklin concluded a complete revamp of the receivers room in April by signing Trebor Peña from Syracuse. With the acquisition, coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has three new receivers to deploy in Peña, Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross, all upgrades to the room. Peña supplies a dynamic route tree, Hudson adds elite hands and Ross brings a downfield threat. The three truly complement each other. 

While the core appears solid, adding fifth-year senior Liam Clifford and promising freshman Koy Howard, the wideouts lack a star and depth, which could be costly with the wear and tear they will face come December.

6. Defensive Line

While the defensive line doesn’t present much depth, it features stars in tackle Zane Durant and edge Dani Dennis-Sutton. Durant was named to several preseason All-American teams and the watch list for the Nagurski Award, given to the best defensive player in college football. 

Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 265 pounds) is a physical freak off the edge and an elite pass rusher. He enters 2025 with th e potential to boost his stock into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

From there, though, there are unknowns. Edge Zuriah Fisher has heightened expectations even though he hasn’t played since 2023, and tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. is garnering preseason attention. Penn State must develop depth beyond them, though. Freshman Chaz Coleman is a player to watch.

5. Tight ends

For a room that lost the Mackey Award winner in Tyler Warren, Penn State is set up pretty well at the position. Fifth-year senior Khalil Dinkins, sophomore Luke Reynolds and redshirt sophomore Andrew Rappleyea form a top-line trio that will make a significant impact.  

Dinkins is a strong blocker and red-zone threat, while Reynolds is more versatile and crisp with his route-running. And Rappleyea is poised for the breakout season that an injury cut short in 2024.

4. Quarterbacks

Outside of third-year starter Drew Allar, there’s little experience in the quarterback room. But Allar also is among the top returning quarterbacks in college football. The Ohio native enters Year 3 with sky-high expectations and plenty still to prove, notably in the biggest games of the season.

Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik are in an ongoing competition for the backup role, but only Grunkemeyer has attempted a pass. Franklin must race to get his backup quarterback reps before the Big Ten opener against Oregon.

3. Cornerbacks

Led by A.J. Harris, Penn State might field the best cornerback room of the Franklin era. Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith called the group, “the best [he’s] had in 12 years.”

Beyond Harris, Smith believes three others in his room could “start anywhere in the Big Ten or SEC.” Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins are competing for the starting spot opposite Harris, while Zion Tracy could be one of the best nickel corners in the conference.

Washington ranked 47th on Bruce Feldman’s “College Football Freaks List” after running a 4.32 time in the 40-yard dash and squatting 565 pounds as a freshman. The room also includes one of the team’s top freshmen in Daryus Dixson.

2. Running backs 

Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen announced their returns to Penn State just minutes apart in January, setting up a dominant backfield for 2025. Pro Football Focus ranks Penn State’s running backs room No. 1 in the country primarily because of the duo.

Singleton and Allen both can break Penn State’s career-rushing record, a potential achievement that stuns even Franklin. Behind them, Penn State has five scholarship running backs vying for that third-string spot, a competition that likely will continue throughout the season.

1. Offensive Line

Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein leads a dominant group with five linemen — Drew Shelton, Vega Ioane, Nick Dawkins, Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh — who have starting experience and a sophomore in guard Cooper Cousins who could be starting by midseason.

The room is arguably the deepest in Franklin’s 12 seasons and among the most talented in the country. It's led by Ioane, who has made several preseason All-America teams, and Dawkins, a sixth-year player and two-time captain. Which is why the group’s goal is to win the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top line.

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