Here are all the major July updates for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State football preseason accolades: Walter Camp Preseason All-Americans, preseason All-Big Ten selections, Big Ten predictions, watch lists, and rankings
The Penn State football hype was underway in July with many Nittany Lions earning spots on preseason teams and watch lists.
Running back Nicholas Singleton and defensive lineman Zane Durant were selected to the Walter Camp Preseason All-America First Team Offense and Defense, respectively. Offensive lineman Vega Ioane was also a Walter Camp selection, making the Preseason All-America Second Team Offense. Durant and Ioane were also put on preseason watch lists. The defensive lineman joined by cornerback A.J. Harris were named to the National Defensive Player of the Year award watch list (Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List). Durant was then honored again on the Outland Trophy Watch List with the Nittany Lion offensive lineman.
Singleton earned further recognition as well, earning a spot on the Big Ten Preseason Honors list with quarterback Drew Allar and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. The running back, quarterback, and RB2 Kaytron Allen were put on the Maxwell Award Watch List for College Player of the Year. Allar earned the top spot on On3's Andy Staples' Big Ten QB ranking.
Head coach James Franklin, despite critics and doubters, was honored to The Dodd Trophy 2025 Preseason Watch List for best coach of the year for their players on and off the field.
Phil Steele named 14 Nittany Lions to his All-Big Ten preseason teams. Allar, Singleton, Ioane, and Durant earned first team selections; Allen, Dennis-Sutton, Harris, Tony Rojas, Zakee Wheatley, and Tyler Duzansky earned spots on the second team; and Singleton for kick return, Trebor Pena, and Devonte Ross were third team selections.
The Nittany Lions earned a No. 2 spot on Steele's Big Ten preseason rankings behind Ohio State and ahead of Oregon, but the cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll had Penn State just beating the Buckeyes with 11 first-place votes to their 10. Franklin not only received a a spot on the coveted coaching award watch list, but was ranked third on CBS Sports' Big Ten coaches ranking behind Ryan Day and Dan Lanning.
Penn State men's hockey generational commitment in Gavin McKenna
Penn State men's hockey landed a generational commitment early July. The Canadian Hockey League star and future NHL standout Gavin McKenna chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan State. He's expected to be the No. 1overall selection of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky firmly believes that Penn State is the place for McKenna. He compared the future Nittany Lion to all-time NHL player Wayne Gretzky and said he's excited to watch the young talent's creativity blossom once he adjusts to the NCAA regime and lifestyle.
"I think one of the things that makes [McKenna] so special is that he is so creative. His mind is just very different. And there's no way that I or anybody else on our staff thinks like Gavin does. He is a very, very special athlete who thinks very differently," Gadowsky said. ". . . By no means am I ever going to talk to him about how his mind creates. That's him, and it's going to be really fun to watch."
For a team that made the Frozen Four for its first time in program history, landing an outstanding talent in this forward will do wonders not only for the 2025-26 season, but the future of Penn State hockey. McKenna will draw in positive attention from more CHL stars and put Happy Valley on the map for impressive United States Hockey League players as well. It's no surprise that Gadowsky and athletic director Pat Kraft reportedly offered a grand NIL deal to the 17-year-old. McKenna received an offer around $700,000 to play at Penn State.
"[McKenna's] one of the most exciting young talents in the game and reflects the level of student-athlete we're bringing to Penn State across all sports," Kraft said in a statement released by Penn State. "His commitment is a testament to the national reputation . . . Gadowsky and his staff have built, and we know he'll thrive in the culture of excellence that surrounds our program. We can't wait to see him compete alongside this incredible group and help push our program to even greater heights."
Penn State football recruitment recap: Class of 2026 and 2027 hits, misses, flips, and targets
While the current Nittany Lion team had an overall positive month, recruitment had its ups and downs for the class of 2026 and 2027.
Penn State opened the month on a low note, missing priority target Immanuel Iheanacho to Oregon. The five-star plus offensive tackle was seriously considering the Nittany Lions, but left them hanging and waiting for a five-star to headline their class of 2026. They also missed a four-star tight end recruit in Brayden Fogle who committed to Georgia.
Roseby Lubintus, close after, flipped his commitment from Penn State to Syracuse. The three-star offensive tackle committed to the Nittany Lion program April 25, but felt that the Orange was a better fit months later.
On July 5, Penn State landed three-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright. He was the No. 47 tackle and No. 8 New Jersey recruit at the time of his commitment. While not a five-star headliner, the Nittany Lions' class of 2026 needed all the help it could get. Penn State also landed a four-star edge rusher. Tyson Harley, the 32nd overall edge from the class committed to a falling Nittany Lion recruitment class. He has similar traits to now-New York Giant Abdul Carter, so his future at Penn State seems bright.
As Franklin shifts some of his focus on pulling together a more stable and overall stronger class of 2027, he seemed to start off with a similar experience. Quarterback Teddy Jarrard announced his commitment and, unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, they missed out on the No. 14 QB to a familiar foe, Notre Dame. Due to the miss, different targets under center popped up. From the sixth-ranked and four-star quarterback Peter Borque to four-star passer Keegan Croucher.
Penn State must apply more pressure to land and retain recruits from the class of 2027. Five-star Kemon Spell already committed, but scheduled four fall visits. He'll see the campus he's currently committed to in Happy Valley as well as the Fighting Irish, Florida State Seminoles, and Alabama Crimson Tide. The Nittany Lions are also a top contender for the No. 1 overall recruit from the class, five-star offensive tackle Kennedy Brown. The Texas native is considering Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, Georgia, and Clemson as well as Penn State as of now.