Why analyst's glowing prediction for Penn State makes perfect sense

On Monday, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt ranked Penn State as the No. 1 college football team in the country heading into the 2025 season. That might seem like a controversial opinion, but Klatt might just be onto something.

Here are the five reasons James Franklin could finally lead Penn State over the hump this season. 

The best running back duo in the country

Behind Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen might be the best running backs in the country. The dynamic duo combined for 2,207 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns last season. Thanks to Singleton and Allen, Penn State ranked 15th in the country in rushing yards per game (202.3), 18th in yards per rush (5.3) and 11th in fourth-down conversion rate (72 percent). 

Singleton's home-run speed (supposedly 4.33 in the 40, per SI.com), combined with Allen's size (5-foot-11, 229 pounds) and physicality, make this the most dangerous backfield in America. 

A sturdy, veteran offensive line

The offensive line has been a major weakness for Penn State in the past, but that won't be the case in 2025. The Nittany Lions are set to return four starters from last season: senior left tackle Drew Shelton, junior left guard Olaivavega Ioane, senior center Nick Dawkins and the right tackle tandem of senior Nolan Rucci and sophomore Anthony Donkoh. 

Former four-star recruit Cooper Cousins will likely take over as the starting right guard, and former five-star J'ven Williams provides an excellent backup plan on the inside. This group is going to maul defensive lines all season. 

A balanced, experienced defense

The Nittany Lions won't be able to replace New York Giants first-round pick Abdul Carter's speed and power on the defensive line, but this group shouldn't take much of a step back in 2025.

Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant are NFL talents on the defensive line. Tony Rojas, Dominic DeLuca and North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell can cover sideline to sideline at linebacker. Zakee Wheatley is a ballhawk in the back end, and the experienced cornerback trio of A.J. Harris, Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins will be a strength for this team. 

Elite coordinators

It's hard to find a more impressive pair of coordinators than the duo situated in Happy Valley. Andy Kotelnicki, who had a chance to leave State College for a head-coaching job this offseason, stayed for a hunt for a national championship. The evil genius of offensive playcalling isn't afraid to send offensive linemen in motion or use a tight end as the center before sending him on a go route. 

Under Kotelnicki last year, Penn State ranked 22nd in the country in scoring offense (33.1) and 10th in yards per play (6.4).

Penn State also found a way to upgrade the defensive coordinator position by prying Jim Knowles from Ohio State. The Buckeyes led the country in scoring defense (12.9), total defense (254.9) and red-zone defense (60.5 percent) under Knowles last season. 

Drew Allar's coronation

Allar has the potential to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025. The senior gunslinger is coming off a career-best 3,327 passing yards and 66.5 percent completion rate last season, and he has thrown only 10 interceptions in 843 career pass attempts.