As the 2025 season winds down, whether Penn State becomes bowl-eligible or not, one looming question remains for a program in transition: who will form the foundation of the next regime?
Interim coach Terry Smith doesn’t yet know his own future, a reality shared by much of the current staff and roster. The overriding theme is accountability and a desire to do right, not just for Penn State, but for themselves.
It’s fair to say that all 105 scholarship players are auditioning for something — whether it’s the NFL, another opportunity elsewhere, or a continued role in Happy Valley.
Although Smith hasn’t said it outright, his approach has reflected a deliberate energy to get everyone “pulling the rope in the same direction,” a phrase he first used when taking over for James Franklin. One of his key tactics has been embracing what Penn State’s younger players can bring to the field.
Grunkemeyer Taking the Reins with Young Targets Emerging
Out of necessity, redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has stepped in admirably for the injured Drew Allar— and in many ways, has outperformed him.
Allar holds a career completion percentage of just 50.3 against Top-10 opponents, while in Grunkemeyer’s last two starts, both against Top-2 ranked teams (No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana), he’s completed 69.5% of his passes.
Smith praised the young quarterback during his Monday availability:
“I thought Ethan was big time in the second half,” Smith said. “He threw an interception coming out of halftime, could’ve easily hung his head but he battled back and made big throws. He started pushing the ball downfield and gave us a chance. His growth continues to get better. We have a quarterback for the future, and we’re going to keep developing him, pushing the ball down the field, and giving him opportunities to make plays.”
Smith also noted that they’re implementing more high-percentage passes to help clean up mistakes and build confidence.
One of the promising young receivers that should help Grunkemeyer achieve this is true freshman Koby Howard, whose snaps and impact have both increased over the past three weeks.
“He’s a better blocker than I anticipated, which is great it means he can be an every-down receiver,” Smith said. “He’s super competitive. I love Koby. We played him more, and he doubled his catches from one to two,” he said. “He’s competitive, and we’ll keep pushing him forward and giving him more opportunities.”
Defensive Youth Movement
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
On defense, true freshman EDGE Chaz Coleman has become one of the most impactful players despite limited experience. With a season-ending injury to Max Granville and inconsistency from Zuriah Fisher, Coleman has stood out.
According to PFF, Coleman holds a team-best pass-rush grade of 91.2 among players with at least 50 snaps. Though he missed the Indiana game, he ranks fourth on the team in total pressures (15). Smith described Coleman as “day-to-day,” but pointed to another rising freshman: Yvan Kemajou.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Yvan is having an amazing freshman year,” Smith said. “This kid is going to be a major part of Penn State’s future. He keeps earning more snaps. I love his development, his work ethic, his tenacity. He’s big, strong, and we’re just going to keep growing with him. He’s going to be one of our special players here in a year or two.”
Kemajou has quietly been one of the most consistent defensive playmakers. He ranks as Penn State’s second-best tackler (80.8) and sixth-highest-graded defender (74.0) among players with at least 100 snaps, per PFF.
Against Indiana, Kemajou tied his season high with three pressures and generated a pass rush on 47.4% of his snaps — his best mark in Big Ten play.
Simplifying to Succeed
Smith attributed the recent defensive resurgence to both player development and a simplified scheme.
“It’s a combination of things,” he said. “We’re deep into the season and have a better grasp of the defense. We’ve simplified some play-calling and drawn up more blitz packages to create pressure. Our guys are playing faster and looser. You saw on Saturday — they looked like the old Penn State defense. They got after it and had fun. We had three sacks and a bunch of pressures.”
That pressure translated into production: three sacks (the first since the Northwestern game), six quarterback hits, and 29 total pressures — Penn State’s highest pass-rush grade in conference play (74.1) and second-best of the season.
Smith reiterated that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles remains in charge of the defense but emphasized why simplification was key, referencing another freshman, Alex Tatsch:
“We have to simplify for those guys to have success,” Smith said. “Alex is in at the very end of the game we can’t give him the whole playbook because it’s just too much. We’ve got to put our guys in position to succeed, and I think Jim’s doing a good job with that now.”
Tatsch logged 23 snaps against Indiana, recording two tackles and a pass breakup. His role, along with that of Keon Wylie and Anthony Speca, has expanded since Tony Rojas’ season-ending injury.
Dixson’s Dual Threat
Another underclassman making waves is defensive back Daryus Dixson, who recorded a key second-quarter sack against Indiana and continues to impress with his versatility near the line of scrimmage and in coverage.
“Daryus has always been a playmaker,” Smith said. “At some point, freshmen hit a wall he did, and it slowed his progress a bit. But he’s back on track now. When he’s on the field, he makes plays and delivers. He had a strip-sack, but the ball bounced right back to the quarterback. He’s a playmaker and turnovers change games. We’ll keep developing him and getting him more action.”
Building the Foundation
That youth movement will be critical in Penn State’s final three regular-season games. Smith’s emphasis on giving younger players opportunities serves a dual purpose: evaluating talent for the next staff and creating a sense of continuity for the program’s future.
Penn State must determine who should be prioritized and developed as foundational pieces and the only way to find out is to play them.
That strategy may not only shape the roster for the next regime, but also strengthen Smith’s own case and the case of his talented underclassmen to remain part of the Nittany Lions’ long-term future.
