Urban Meyer names college football program to 'watch out for' this season

Last season, Penn State made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, but fell short against Notre Dame in the semifinals after wins over Boise State and SMU in the first two rounds.

Despite losing multiple impact contributors to the NFL Draft, the Nittany Lions return multiple key players, making this program one of the preseason favorites to make another run in the College Football Playoff.

During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer highlighted Penn State as one of his teams to watch for next season.

"Penn State is following the lead of the Wolverines and the Buckeyes," Meyer said. "And that is, they have more seniors... Think about this, Colin. I never had the chance to coach fourth-year players. If I did, it was very rare. The difference between a fourth-year player and a rookie, or freshman, is night and day. You're coaching grown-a** men. That's a men's locker room compared to a young person's."

Meyer highlighted the return of quarterback Drew Allar as one of the most important aspects of this team's potential. He even went a step further, calling the Nittany Lions one of the most talented teams in the nation.

"Watch out for Penn State, man," Meyer continued. "If Drew Allar can really improve as a quarterback, I agree with you, they've got the best backfield, I don't think it's close, in the country. They've got an offensive line that they can't wait to get on the field. I think Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State are the most talented."

Over the past two seasons, Allar has recorded 5,958 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in passing touchdowns in 2023, while ranking top five in the conference in passing yards both seasons. Allar's success did not translate to the postseason as he failed to surpass 200 passing yards in all three CFP games.

Allar's success has led to one of the highest NIL valuations in college football, ranking No. 8 nationally. He has the highest NIL valuation among Penn State players with a projected valuation of $3.1 million. Running back Nick Singleton also has a projected NIL value of $1.8 million, according to On3.

As Meyer noted, Penn State's running back room will be one of the most talented in the nation. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen return after surpassing 1,000 rushing yards last season. The duo has combined for over 4,000 career rushing yards and has a chance to reset the record book with another big season.

Penn State opens the 2025 college football season on Aug. 30 against Nevada. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.