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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 4-Star Quarterback Flips From Penn State to SEC School
Yet another major misstep has befallen the Nittany Lions in their 2026 recruiting cycle. 4-star QB Peyton Falzone, a Pennsylvania guy who has worked with Penn State staff multiple times and has visited then a total of 14 times, flipped his pledge to the Auburn Tigers on Thursday. A lifelong Penn State fan, Falzone was the No. 18 quarterback in the class and the sixth ranked athlete from Pennsylvania. This shocking news comes just days after the Nittany Lions missed out on several in-state recruits to fellow blueblood and potential recruiting rival Notre Dame. The most stunning aspect of Falzone's sudden change of plans stems from the fact that he grew up a Nittany Lions fan himself and had really impressed coaches amongst the staff with his talents. He had committed to them April 12th and had been to multiple Penn State specific camp workouts, including their White Out camp, where he exclusively worked with QB coach Danny O'Brien. What might have dissuaded the 4-star QB from fully committing to the Nittany Lions may have been how they chose to approach him. They did not officially treat him as a recruit of interest until the spring. Add in the fact that California four-star Troy Kuhn ins already amongst the class's midst and you can definitely explain Falzone's decision despite his heavy ties to the state and program. Despite making recent strides in the past few days in terms of recruitment, Penn State find themselves with an in-state conundrum that they have not yet been able to address in this recruiting cycle. Falzone is their latest reminder of their consequent failures.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Previewing the 2025 season for Penn State QB Drew Allar with his player profile
Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player's background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season. Quarterback Drew Allar returns for his fourth and likely final season as a Nittany Lion, looking to avenge last season's heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals. With a revamped wide receiver corps via a trio of transfers, Allar has arguably the best cast of pass-catchers he's had since arriving on campus. Here's a preview of Penn State's gunslinger headed into the 2025 season. Preseason Player Profile Hometown: Medina, Ohio Advertisement Height: 6-5 Weight: 236 lb Class in 2025: Senior Recruiting Rankings Class of 2022: Consensus 5-star recruit, No. 3 player, No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 recruit from Ohio per 247Sports Allar committed to Penn State as a rising 4-star recruit. The local Ohio State made a late push for Allar after his commitment, but the quarterback never wavered and became Penn State's highest ranked quarterback commitment since Christian Hackenberg in 2013. Career Stats Games Completions Attempts Yards Touchdowns 2022 10 35 60 344 4 2023 13 233 389 2,631 25 2024 16 262 394 3,327 24 Depth Chart Overview It was clear when Allar stepped on campus it wouldn't take long for him to step into the spotlight. After sitting behind sixth-year Sean Clifford for a year, Allar took the reigns and has been the starter for two seasons. Barring injury, he'll retain the starting role in 2025. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 2025 Penn State football: Drew Allar player profile
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Predicting the 2025 first-team All-Big Ten offense
The Big Ten is arguably more talented than it's ever been thanks to the addition of four West Coast programs - including two recruiting powerhouses - and the transfer portal, which has allowed top teams another avenue to bring in talented players. With the conglomeration of talent within the conference, earning a spot on the end-of-season All-Big Ten teams is a tough task. Here's my prediction for how the postseason first-team All-Big Ten offense will look. Quarterback: Drew Allar, Penn State It's easy to point to Allar's shortcomings in big moments, including poor performances against Ohio State and Notre Dame last season, but it's also clear the former 5-star recruit has improved year over year. In his first season under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Allar's completion percentage jumped from 59.9% to 66.5%, and his average yards per completion increased considerably from 6.8 to 8.4. His one regression came in the touchdown-interception ratio, a side effect of pushing the ball downfield, but it was still a solid 24-8 mark in 2024. With another year working under Kotelnicki and a revamped wide receiver room - including a real threat in the slot for the first time - Allar could be poised for another leap forward. Looking at the rest of the Big Ten, Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon are all breaking in new quarterbacks, and many other teams don't have the surrounding talent to produce big offensive numbers. Due to a lack of proven commodities around the league, Allar should be viewed as the frontrunner for this honor. It wouldn't be surprising to see a young quarterback like Dylan Raiola or Bryce Underwood jump up and take this spot, but it's hard to project that at this point in the offseason. Running back: Nick Singleton, Penn State One of the top running backs in the country, Nick Singleton will return for his senior season in 2025 and has the chance to set Penn State's career rushing yards record. Singleton, a former 5-star recruit, already has name recognition and a pair of 1,000 yard rushing seasons under his belt. With potentially his best offensive line yet and partner Kaytron Allen to relieve some of the workload, Singleton could be in for monster numbers this season. The Nittany Lions added Stan Drayton, one of the best running backs coaches in the country, to serve as a catalyst for Singleton's success this season. Additionally, many of the conference's top running backs from last season, including Kaleb Johnson, Kyle Monongai, Jordan James, Woody Marks, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are all off to the NFL. Singleton's stiffest competition for this honor may be his own teammate Allen. Running back: Darius Taylor, Minnesota Though he doesn't have the same name recognition as Singleton, Darius Taylor has quietly been one of the top running backs in a conference with extreme depth at the position. Though an injury held him out for most of the 2023 season, Taylor averaged a whopping 159.2 yards in five games as a true freshman. Last season, he racked up 986 yards for 10 touchdowns and added 350 receiving yards for two scores. With many of the Big Ten's top running backs heading to the NFL this offseason, the door has opened for Taylor to be named a first-team all-conference member in his junior year before likely heading to the pros. Wide receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State No All-Big Ten team would be complete without a Buckeye wide receiver, and Jeremiah Smith is the most likely to earn the honor in 2025. Continuing a ridiculous stretch of elite receivers to come through Columbus, Smith dazzled with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns as a true freshman last season while helping Ohio State to a national championship. Many college football analysts believe Smith would've been one of the top picks in the NFL draft if he was eligible, but he'll have to wait until 2027 at the earliest to hear his name called. Not only did Smith break several records for freshmen at a blue blood program, he showed up in many of the team's biggest games, including 103 yards against Tennessee, 187 yards against Oregon and 88 yards against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. Smith has already caught the nation's attention with flashy plays as a true freshman, and it'll be tough for anyone to beat him out for this title next season. Wide receiver: Denzel Boston (Washington) It took a couple years for Denzel Boston to find his stride at Washington, going from 66 receiving yards through two seasons to 834 last year as a junior, but Boston could be in for another big season in 2025. He was a consistent presence for the Huskies in 2024, recording at least two receptions in every game despite shaky quarterback play. Will Rogers was the week one starter at quarterback for Washington, but true freshman Demond Williams Jr. overtook him by the end of the season. Williams played well to close out last season and the buzz out of Seattle indicates he's poised for a breakout year. Boston is the clear WR1 for the Huskies in 2025, and with improved quarterback play he should eclipse 1,000 yards, which only three Big Ten wide receivers did last season, including Jeremiah Smith. Tight end: Max Klare (Ohio State) Max Klare was one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten last year, ranking second in receiving yards behind only Tyler Warren, who's off to the NFL via a first-round selection. Klare racked up 51 receptions for 685 yards, but the most impressive part is he did so at Purdue, which finished 1-11 and dead last in the conference last year. After transferring to Ohio State this offseason, Klare should see a significant bump in production with a competent offense around him, making him a candidate to reach 1,000 receiving yards, a rare feat for the position. Center: Logan Jones (Iowa) Anchoring one of the nation's top offensive lines, Logan Jones enters his sixth and final season with the Hawkeyes as one of the most polished offensive line products in the country. Jones was already a first-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media last season and was given the second-team nod by coaches. According to PFF, Jones didn't allow a sack and only surrendered five pressures in 2024 while facing some of the nation's top defensive linemen. Barring a regression, Jones will likely claim this honor before heading to the NFL in 2026. Guard: Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon) Emmanuel Pregnon flew under the radar as a recruit and began his college career with three seasons at Wyoming before transferring to USC for another two. With the Trojans, Pregnon started 25 games at left guard and earned high PFF grades. Pregnon didn't allow a sack in 2024, and likely would've gotten drafted had he chose to declare. Instead, Pregnon returned for a sixth season in college and transferred north to join the Ducks, who have a recent track record of producing elite offensive line talent. Guard: Vega Ioane (Penn State) Vega Ioane went viral last season when he was sent in motion for a pancake block against UCLA, showcasing his power and versatility. The Nittany Lion started all 16 games at left guard as Penn State pushed to the national semifinals, helping pave the way for Singleton and Allen. He likely would've been drafted had he declared, but Ioane will instead return for his senior season on one of the nation's top offensive line units. Ioane's size and strength were on full display during last year's postseason and should carry over into a big 2025 campaign. Tackle: Isaiah World (Oregon) The Ducks' smooth transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten can be attributed to great offensive line play, which has allowed Oregon to match up well in the trenches against physical midwest squads. That should continue in 2025 after the addition of key transfers. In addition to Pregnon, the Ducks added Isaiah World from Nevada, where he started 35 games across the last three seasons. Though he'll face a higher caliber of opponent this season, World is expected to continue dominating. He ranked as the No. 2 overall transfer per 247Sports and has earned buzz as a first-round prospect heading into his fifth season of college ball. Tackle: Gennings Dunker (Iowa) Another veteran offensive lineman, Gennings Dunker will enter his fourth season at Iowa and third as a full-time starter in 2025. PFF graded Dunker as the fourth best offensive tackle last season and the best in the Big Ten, and he likely would've heard his name called had he declared for the draft. Dunker was named to the All-Big Ten second team by coaches and third-team by media last season, and both first-team offensive tackles have since left for the professional ranks, clearing the path.
Fox Sports
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 CFB Predictions, Picks: Back Penn State To Surpass Win Total
The college football season will be here before you know it. I usually dive into the deep end of the pigskin pool immediately after the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals are finito, so here we are. There aren't many moves I'm ready to make for Week 1 yet — I do love Over 54.5 total points in the Miami-Notre Dame — but I've done a good amount of work on regular season win totals and the power conference betting markets. Here are three future bets I like right now. Clemson to win ACC There aren't many higher on the Tigers than me. I'm far from a "Clemson guy," but Dabo Swinney's offense is loaded with skill and speed, and the Tigers have a first-round quarterback in Cade Klubnik. Sure, it's a younger group of skill position guys, but the talent is serious. And you already know there are four or five NFL players on defense. The ACC should be a two-horse race between Clemson and Miami, another team that's got gobs and gobs of talent. I currently have Clemson 4.5 points better on a neutral and that number might grow during the season. You'll have a nice middle shot if the Tigers are better than the market believes, and they are touchdown favorites or so in the ACC title game. PICK: Clemson (+120) to win ACC Penn State Over 10.5 wins A few people that I respect believe this is the most complete team James Franklin has ever had in Happy Valley. Obviously, that phrase gets overused in sports, but it's pretty difficult to disagree in this specific situation. The defense could be better than last year's and Penn State added a couple of legit receivers from the portal to go along with its returning quarterback Drew Allar, top two running backs and offensive coordinator. Stability is not an issue. One bettor flashed me a $5,000 ticket on Penn State to win the whole enchilada at 9/1. It'll pay $45,000 if it comes home. I certainly respect the play but just can't get there. My issue is that Franklin seems to find a way to flub a major decision in the biggest games. It's cruel, but fair. I'm pumping the brakes on a Big Ten title or national championship, believing it's a better bet to back the Nittany Lions to reach 11 wins. PICK: Penn State (+120) Over 10.5 wins Notre Dame Under 10.5 wins My "Bet Sweats" co-host Joe Ostrowski and I bet Notre Dame to win the national title at 10-1 a week before the College Football Playoff. We rode the wave over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State only to see the Irish get shoved against Ohio State in the championship game. Right size, wrong shape. The Irish are likely handing the keys on offense to freshman quarterback CJ Carr, a kid who is decidedly less experienced than transfers Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard were the last two seasons. And if Carr doesn't win the job, sophomore Kenny Minchey doesn't have much seasoning either. Notre Dame will run the ball a ton and their defense will carry the load for most games, but I can't ignore the quarterback youth or the schedule. And games against Miami, Texas A&M, Arkansas and USC are no walks in the park. PICK: Notre Dame (-140) Under 10.5 wins Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Penn State offense and defense ranked top 3 in EA Sports College Football 26
The highly anticipated EA Sports College Football 26 numbers are in, and for the second consecutive year, Penn State placed highly. The Nittany Lions earned a 88 overall roster ranking, which placed them as the No. 4 overall team in the game, behind No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State. It's important to note no team was higher than an 89 overall. Broken down by units, Penn State's defense led the way with a 94 overall ranking, good for third place behind the Crimson Tide and Longhorns. It was the best-rated defense in the Big Ten, followed closely by Ohio State at No. 5, Michigan at No. 6 and Oregon at No. 7. Offensively, the Nittany Lions earned a 91, which was the second highest ranking behind Texas, which also had a 91. Penn State came in one spot above Ohio State, which also graded as a 91, while the next highest Big Ten team was No. 11 Indiana. Penn State's respectable rankings on both sides of the field are representative of the amount of on-field talent its accumulated ahead of the 2025 campaign. With returning stars across the board and some top transfer additions, the Nittany Lions certainly have one of the best rosters on paper, something reflected in the game rankings. Based solely on overall team rankings, Penn State is higher than 11 of the teams it plays next season, with the Buckeyes being the only exception. If that plays out on the field, the Nittany Lions will be well on their way to another College Football Playoff appearance and likely a deep run.
