Happy news broke in Happy Valley on Friday of new and familiar faces coming (back) to Penn State as well as more hype around the football team's chances to win the College Football Playoff championship. Here's everything you missed.
Bryce Molinaro returns to Penn State baseball for 2026 season over the MLB
Third baseman Bryce Molinaro was one of the five Nittany Lions selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. He was the 501st overall draft pick, selected in the 17th round.
Early on Friday, July 18, though, Molinaro made a statement addressing the Nittany Nation that he will return to Happy Valley over going to the MLB. His announcement read:
"Thank you for your support throughout this season. We can feel the energy and enthusiasm as we keep building towards Big Ten Championships and beyond. While it has always been a dream to play in the MLB, after a discussion with my family and coaches, I've decided to return to Penn State for the 2026 season. I'm coming back determined to dominate on the field and keep developing under [head coach Mike] Gambino and his tremendous staff. I can't wait to be back with my teammatrs at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. I'm back! We are!"
In 2025, Molinaro started all 56 games as a redshirt sophomore. According to Penn State Athletics, he had a .502 slugging percentage as well as 60 hits, eight doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 61 RBI, 46 runs, 34 walks, and eight steals.
Penn State basketball signs international forward Tibor Mirtic
Head coach Mike Rhoades has landed well with international talent and signed his fourth overseas player for the 2025-26 season. Tibor Mirtic, a six-foot-nine-inch forward, played with Krka Novo Mesto of Slovenia's top professional league, Liga OTP banka, and the ABA League, according to Nittany Sports Now.
Mirtic averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 26 games, shot 53 percent from two-point range and 41.7 percent from three-point range in 2024-25. He joins Ivan Juric, Melih Tunca, and Sasa Ciani as the new, international Nittany Lions on the 2025-26 roster.
Welcome Tibor Mirtic to Happy Valley! 🤝
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) July 18, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/ccAqyQAdrQ#WeAre pic.twitter.com/UBhKnZgx0L
Kirk Herbstreit, Colin Cowherd, and Bill Connelly think Penn State football has a good chance at the College Football Playoff title
No surprise, more college football analysts are rallying behind the Nittany Lions as one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff championship.
Kirk Herbstreit said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he's excited to see Penn State play in 2025-26, especially given it's semifinals loss in the CFP Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions were close to winning it all, and they should play with a chip on their shoulders throughout the season game-by-game until deep into the postseason.
According to Colin Cowherd on "The Herd," ". . . Penn State and Texas are going to play for the national championship."
At the end of June, Cowherd also said that he thinks the Nittany Lions will be the ones to win the CFP with the best backfield and the No. 2 quarterback in the country. He said that alongside Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon have the highest chances of winning the title and Notre Dame, Alabama, and Clemson could break into that bubble as well.
On Bill Connelly's Big Ten preview for ESPN, he said Penn State is a predictable team that loses and wins games it's "supposed to." Heading into the upcoming season, though, the Nittany Lions are favored to win the Big Ten and CFP. Connelly wrote that everything is pointing in the right direction for Penn State, and that with the level of experience with it's veteran returners, it's the year for head coach James Franklin to get it done.