Spring football is now over, and one analyst ranked Penn State highly in his post-spring top 25 rankings, higher than Ohio State, in fact.
Andy Staples of On3Sports has Penn State at No. 4, behind top-ranked Texas as well as Clemson and Notre Dame. Ohio State is right behind Penn State at No. 5.
This shouldnโt come as a surprise.
In fact, plenty would argue that Penn State should be ranked higher. The team was a play away from making it to the national title game last season and returns most of the players who helped make that happen.
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Offensively, QB Drew Allar and RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are among those returning. Defensively, DT Zane Durant, DE Dani Dennis-Sutton and S Zakee Wheatley will all be back.
ELSEWHERE IN THE BIG TEN
CHAMPAIGN, IL – SEPTEMBER 07: Illinois Fighting Illini Head Coach Bret Bielema reacts during the college football game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Illinois Fighting Illini on September 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, there arenโt many surprises. Right behind Penn State and Ohio State is Oregon at No. 6. Penn State is scheduled to take on Oregon Sept. 27 at Beaver Stadium.
Michigan, which is trying to get back to the national championship-level it was at two seasons ago, is No. 17, which also isnโt surprising.
Nor are Nebraska (No. 22) and Iowa (No. 25) being at the back end of the top 25. Nebraska has a lot of promise with young QB Dylan Raiola, and Iowa, well, Iowa kind of lives in the back end of the top 25 or just outside of it (it finished No. 23 in 2021, ย No. 24 in 2023 and went 8-5 in 2022 and โ24).
The biggest surprise for most people would be Illinois at No. 9.
Itโs not that Illinois isnโt capableโ the team went 10-3 last year and returns most of its key playersโ but rather the fact that Illinois hasnโt spent much time in the top 10 historically.
Illinois hasnโt finished in the top 10 since 1989.
But that couldnโt certainly change in 2025.
IF IT STANDS
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
If Penn State is No. 4 when the first โreal rankingsโ come out, it would be the teamโs highest ranking coming into a year since 1999.
Penn State opens its 2025 campaign Aug. 30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.
