Three Narratives Following Penn State This Season

As college football continues to labor over labor (the ongoing House vs. NCAA settlement), the offseason rankings season runs a parallel stride. Penn State has been at or near the top many of these lists, including ESPN's most recent SP+ update, which has the Nittany Lions currently at No. 3.

Sifting through the rankings, a few themes emerge:

• Penn State has the roster and the schedule to contend for a national championship

• Penn State is following the model Michigan and Ohio State used to win the past two titles

• It's now or never for Penn State coach James Franklin

Let's dive further into the early preseason rankings and the narratives they're driving around Penn State.

Narrative 1: Penn State has its best roster under Franklin

The 2017 Penn State team might debate the point, with running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Trace McSorley, tight end Mike Gesicki, safety Marcus Allen, linebacker Jason Cabinda, cornerback Amani Oruwariye, receiver DaeSean Hamilton and punter Blake Gillikin.

The 2025 Nittany Lions, however, are deeper and more well-rounded. Penn State has star power in quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant and defensive backs A.J. Harris and Zakee Wheatley. This offense also might have its best line under Franklin, with five returners with starting experience. Further, the team's positional depth, particularly at tight end, is championship caliber.

What more proof? Penn State has five of the top-50 NFL Draft prospects, according to Pro Football Focus. Drew Allar tops the list at No. 17, though he's a likely first-rounder based on measurables. This story line will shadow Penn State into the postseason.

Narrative 2: Penn State is following the "blueprint"

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt has been channeling this energy since Ohio State beat Notre Dame in January for the College Football Playoff title. Michigan and Ohio State based their title runs largely on roster retention, though Ohio State did add two of the nation's top players from outside (safety Caleb Downs from Alabama, receiver Jeremiah Smith from its recruiting pool) last season.

Yes, Penn State has followed a similar framework, though not as a copycat. Franklin positions himself as a developmental coach and values retention as a component of that. Can't develop players you don't retain.

Franklin also sells the two-way value. Tight end Tyler Warren might have been a third-round draft pick in 2024. But he returned (thanks in part to NIL money), became the centerpiece of Andy Kotelnicki's offense, caught 104 passes and signed a a $20.5 million contract as a first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts. Win, win.

Who might follow that path this season? Singleton and Allen are the obvious choices, but consider defensive players like Durant and Harris. They could have entered the draft and have been solid day-two picks. Instead, Durant and Harris could position themselves as potential first-rounders next year. Franklin's blueprint just happens to be modeling as a contender right now.

Narrative 3: It's now or never for Franklin

This take is too strong, but the source code is understandable. Penn State has spent a considerable sum on the 2026 football season, including the huge contract it gave defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. But the statement didn't start there, or with the investment the program made in roster retention.

Penn State began traveling this road in late 2021, when it gave Franklin a 10-year contract that included a "long-term investment" in the program. Since becoming Penn State's athletic director in 2022, Pat Kraft has made clear his intentions to further that investment.

"When it comes to football, we're close, we're close, and we're going to keep going and keep
going and keep going until we get to where we want to be," Kraft said earlier this year.

With that investment comes rising expectations, noted acutely (and anonymously) in Athlon Magazine's college football preview. “This is the season James Franklin’s entire coaching career could be judged by," an anonymous Big Ten coach told Athlon. "If they can’t change their big-game problems with this group, it’s not happening.”

Franklin will disagree with the argument but can't avoid it. As the Penn State coach recently told Rich Scarcella of the Reading Eagle, "I chose a place that has really high expectations, where you can win 13 games in a season and a portion of the fan base is hissed off," Franklin said in the interview. "But I chose that and I signed up for that."

Franklin might not feel the "never" but certainly will feel the "now" this fall.