James Franklin has been lauded all offseason for his incredible retention rate following Penn State’s run to the College Football Playoff semifinal, and rightfully so. The 12th-year head coach of the Nittany Lions kept draft-eligible stars, Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Zane Durant, and Dani Dennis-Sutton in Happy Valley for their senior seasons and has Penn State positioned as a national championship favorite.
Still, Franklin will need to spend this offseason, not rebuilding or retooling his loaded roster, but revamping it. Star defensive end Abdul Carter and dominant tight end Tyler Warren are both heading to the NFL as presumptive first-round picks this spring and transfer portal departures hit the offense hard. Penn State’s coaching staff will need to bring along replacements in key roles during winter workouts and spring practice, but the progress of these three players will play the biggest role in determining the Nittany Lion’s destiny in 2025.
Granville played 52 snaps as a true freshman while redshirting last season. He re-classified from 2025 to join the team in 2024 and with a deep reserve of edge rushers in Happy Valley, had a limited impact. However, with Carter, Amin Vanover, and Smith Vilbert all leaving the program, either for the NFL or in Vilbert’s case for the transfer portal, Granville could find himself as a starter for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Granville’s role will depend on the style of defense Knowles chooses to bring with him from Ohio State. Either way, Penn State needs another pass rusher opposite Dennis-Sutton.
Texas A&M transfer Enai White may leapfrog Granville on the depth chart, and that position battle will be intriguing to watch this offseason.
Not only did Penn State lose its top two wide receivers from last season, Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, to the transfer portal, the Nittany Lions also need to replace Warren’s massive role in the passing game. Warren was Allar’s No. 1 option, leading the team with 104 catches for 1,233 yards, and was a gravitational force that opened things up for everyone else in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense.
While he won’t match Warren’s production, former five-star tight end Luke Reynolds will become TE1 as a sophomore in 2025. How closely he impersonates his predecessor will go a long way to determine the effectiveness of the offense in Happy Valley.
An incoming transfer from USC with one year of eligibility remaining Hudson figures to become WR1 at Penn State. Hudson caught 38 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns for Lincoln Riley last season but will need to spend the offseason adjusting to his new role as the primary option in the passing game.
Penn State didn’t have a single wide receiver catch a pass in its season-ending loss to Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal. Hudson and Troy transfer Devonte Ross were brought in to be the solution on the outside, and so far the reviews are promising.