The 2025 Big Ten Media Days concluded yesterday for the conference and Penn State took the stage Wednesday.
Here are my key takeaways from Penn State’s appearance at the annual conference media days held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for the first time.
#1 Penn State Football’s National Championship Expectations Did Not Make Anyone Waver
By all accounts, coach James Franklin, quarterback Drew Allar, offensive lineman Nick Dawkins, and safety Zakee Wheatley were acutely aware of the expectations this group is facing.
Each was aplomb engaging the media, especially from visiting media who had curiosity about this group, if they were the team that was to change the narrative about Penn State.
“None of the expectations matter,” Wheatley said. “The ranking doesn’t matter. All that matters is the rank at the end of this year. So we’re going in every day and working like that. We’re just going in every day, working hard, not worrying about anything extra, and just being our best version of ourselves.
“Coming to Penn State, I came here to win Big Ten championships, winning national championships. You get it every year. That’s the expectation. Whatever happens, happens, but that’s how I’m going into the season.”
There have been numerous comparisons to the two previous national champions from Michigan (2023) and Ohio State (2024) because of the team make up.
I feel this Penn State group closer resembles what the 2023 Michigan team was both in make up and the adversity they faced to change the narrative that their head coach Jim Harbaugh faced.
#2 Tyler Warren Replacement To Keep An Eye On
I don’t feel with the personnel Penn State has, along with if everyone stays healthy, that there will be another Tyler Warren-type season from this group.
The ball will be spread around and that will make Penn State tougher to defend.
During last year’s Big Ten Media Days, Franklin was quick to praise Warren’s ability to set the edge and that would be a common theme from him throughout Penn State Media Days and throughout much of the early part of the 2024 regular season as Warren was taking off.
Offensive lineman Nick Dawkins this year gave an endorsement for a tight end that is eerily similar to the praise Franklin gave Warren.
“Khalil Dinkins is the best tight end that I’ve ever seen in the run game,” Dawkins said. “He is the best. This man blocks his tail off. He’s like an extra tackle out there. And what he does [in the pass game], I mean, you saw the touchdowns he had last year before. He’s just a sneaky guy, man. He just gets in there. He gets in all like the little, sneaky crevices you don’t think you see, and all that. He’s just an elite player. I’m so excited for Khalil Dinkins this year.”
If you think of Warren’s career arc at Penn State, his opportunity to shine and have the spotlight came as a senior and with Dinkins having that same path having been in a group, he has a final opportunity to put a bow on his career.
While young prodigies like Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea will be in the mix, Dinkins leadership and setting an example for his younger teammates will be seen in critical situations and Dawkins endorsement is one to keep an eye on.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.#3 Defensive Line Depth
I wrote last week about the margin of error for the defensive line, especially at defensive tackle, is thin.
Of the eight players returning who played 300 or more snaps on defense last season, only two were on the defensive line (Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant).
Franklin took the issue head on and began describing his situation.
“I always felt like you needed to have at least two and a half deep at every position,” he said. “So if it’s D-tackle, [and] you got two tackles, you better have five that you feel like you can win, right?”
Franklin began praising Durant, saying he doesn’t get enough credit for being one of America’s best defensive tackles in college football.
Then came the assessment of Alonzo Ford where Franklin indicated not enough talk is about him but indicated his performance was missed when he got injured. The impression I got from Franklin in his quick assessment is he expects big things from Ford playing opposite of Durant.
Beyond Durant and Ford is the meat of the question because if you subscribe to the “James Franklin Theorem” of two and a half deep at every position, who else is in the group?
“Xavier Gilliam has had an unbelievable offseason, and we think he has a chance to be special,” he said. “And then you put [Owen] Wafle in that category, and [Ty] Blanding in that category. And that’s five guys I think we have a lot of confidence in, but they got to do it on a consistent basis.”
Gilliam rose in the depth charts in the two-deep following Ford’s injury and logged 55 snaps last season. Blanding had 53 snaps as well last season. Michigan transfer Wafle did not see any action last fall in Ann Arbor.
Franklin recognizes there is a lot of young potential even beyond Wafle, Gilliam and Blanding but it will be interesting to see how accurate Franklin’s assessment is as the season starts and look for heavy rotations early in the season with these players.
#4 Drew Allar Is Excited About His Wide Receivers
For a second consecutive Media Days, Franklin points out a superlative about his starting quarterback that many don’t realize.
Last Media Days session Franklin praised Allar’s amazing touchdown to interception ratio.
This Media Days session, Franklin pointed out the rare air Allar is going into his senior season.
“Drew Allar, senior starting quarterback, third straight year as a starter, is on track to graduate this fall,” Franklin said. “Since 1956, he is one of two FBS quarterbacks with 800-plus completions, 50-plus touchdowns and 10 or less interceptions. Done a phenomenal job of protecting the football in terms of touchdown to interception ratio, and we expect that to continue this year.”
Franklin’s expectation for Allar is fueled by the trio of imports that they got into their wide receiver room.
Trebor Pena (Syracuse), Devonte Ross (Troy), and Kyron Hudson (USC) are seen as the missing piece to Penn State’s offensive puzzle at the wide receiver unit. Last year’s unit registered zero receptions in the season’s most critical junction at the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Allar seems excited at the potential this unit can bring, who combined for last season for nearly 2,500 receiving yards on 198 receptions and 23 receiving touchdowns.
“They’ve been great for our room,” he said. “The one thing about all of them is that they came and put their heads down and worked. They were not coming in entitled or anything. They earned everybody’s respect, from the players’ standpoint, from the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball, and the coaching staff.”
“They’re unselfish and that sort of thing, in that way. So, I’m excited to play football again. I think we really got rolling on the back half of spring ball. I know I’ve said this, but: I’m excited to go into fall camp and play football.
You can read what Allar likes specifically about each right here.
