Penn State football started the 2025 season out with impressive standards. Not only were the Nittany Lions expected to be national champions by the end of the season, but players declaring for the draft — specifically those who no longer have college eligibility remaining — had first-round aspirations.
After Oregon came into Beaver Stadium and caused an complete collapse and destruction of the season and those hopes, the long list of potential first-rounders got kicked off one-by-one.
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Guard Vega Ioane is the last Nittany Lion standing that has a real shot at making it into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Even running back Kaytron Allen is at risk of dropping down a round or two, despite a record-setting season and being one of the only bright spots of the Penn State team overall, due to what players NFL teams need.
So what happened to the others who seemed to either be a first-round lock or had an opportunity to up their draft stock if things went in the blue and white's favor?
It's not just the broken ankle that dropped quarterback Drew Allar's draft stock. If anything, his injury prevented him from hurting it even further.
Allar never had an easy time competing with the quarterback class even before the 2025 season kicked off, but he was supposed to be around the top of that group. He was projected to be a late first-round pick on average, which only a miracle of a season could have turned him into anything more. The exact opposite happened.
In six games, Allar completed 103 passes for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing with a 64.8 completion percentage. He also threw three picks. On the ground, he had 36 scrambles for 172 yards and one score. Allar was on track to have a very similar season to 2023 and 2024. Of all Nittany Lions, he especially did not live up to the hype and reminded everyone almost immediately exactly how average he is at best. He also showed how consistent he is at making mistakes, whether it's something as broad as not being able to lead an offense with confidence or smaller and still costly mishaps, like throwing game-ending interceptions.
Cornerback A.J. Harris didn't kill his draft stock. He had 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup, and one pass defensed as a junior in 2025. While he had a better performance sophomore year, logging six passes defensed, five pass breakups, and one interception, his performance as a junior wasn't anything jarring.
Harris announced his intent on entering the Transfer Portal on Dec. 22. That's not to say he would be a shoe-in first-rounder if he did declare for the draft. He still had a hard time living up to expectations, ultimately falling short. However, he wouldn't be the most disappointing selection compared to where others may fall. Maintaining his eligibility, though, gives him a chance to re-up his stock, remind pro teams of his potential, and put himself in a better position for the 2027 NFL Draft. His first-round hopes haven't died yet, they've just been prolonged.
Like Allar, running back Nicholas Singleton's season was a bust in comparison to what was expected of him, especially considering what he accomplished years prior. He had his lowest rushing yard performance of his collegiate career, sitting at 123 carries for 549 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a true freshman, Singleton had 156 carries for 1,061 yards. In 2024, he had 172 carries for 1,099 yards.
While the offense lost its identity for half the season, the numbers speak for themselves. Singleton went from RB1 to Allen's pity backup. Allen had his best rushing performance of his collegiate career with over double of what Singleton accomplished: 210 carries for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns. Singleton got outperformed by a landslide, and that eventual outcome was clear from Week 1.
Ioane, center Nick Dawkins, safety Zakee Wheatley, defensive tackle Zane Durant, and offensive lineman Drew Shelton officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Singleton and Allen are likely to follow suit, and Allar's announcement is still up in the air. While this group, including Harris, wasn't going to go pick after pick in the first round before the season started, Penn State is lucky if it gets one off the board in the first 32 selections.