Coming off a run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal, James Franklin had his most active offseason of the transfer portal era so far. However, the reason that Penn State is being treated as one of the favorites to win it all this year is the amount of talent Franklin kept in Happy Valley.
Franklin did an excellent job retaining his seniors, most of whom came from a loaded 2022 recruiting class, including four of the five best returning players on the roster. Year 12 will be Franklin’s best chance to finally get over the hump at Penn State and these five players will lead the charge.
Nagging injuries to Singleton allowed Kaytron Allen to lead the Nittany Lions in rushing last season, but when healthy, Singleton is the best player in Happy Valley. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry to Allen’s 5.0, reached the end zone four more times than Allen, and is the more explosive runner.
Singleton generated 0.18 EPA/rush last season compared to Allen’s -0.02, which was due in large part to his ability to create explosive plays out of the backfield, but all had a 49% success rate to Allen’s 44%. Both of Penn State’s running backs are elite players who could have been Day 2 draft picks this spring, and they complement each other incredibly well, but Singleton, as he has been for their entire four-year careers, is Batman, and Allen is Robin.
Last offseason, Drew Allar got a massive upgrade on the sidelines with Andy Kotelnicki taking over as offensive coordinator, and the former five-star QB took a huge step forward. Now, James Franklin upgraded Allar’s weaponry with three incoming wide receiver transfers for his senior season.
Allar still has to grow as a passer, especially in the biggest games of the season, but with his arm talent, toughness, and athleticism, he could be the best quarterback in the country this season and the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Abdul Carter is gone. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year became the No. 3 overall pick to the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Penn State still has an elite edge rusher on campus for first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Dani Dennis-Sutton, not Carter, was the five-star defensive prize of the 2022 recruiting class, and though he had an up-and-down regular season as a junior in 2024, when the College Football Playoff came around, he showed why he was so highly regarded.
Dennis-Sutton recorded 4.5 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures, 16 tackles, and a forced fumble across Penn State’s three-game CFP run. Some of that production even came after Carter left the Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State with a shoulder injury, and that’s important because Dennis-Sutton has to prove he can thrive without Carter drawing all the attention on the other side.
While Allen doesn’t measure up to Singleton’s efficiency, he’s a true chain mover who cleared 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in his career last season. After struggling down the stretch, Allen dominated in the postseason, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, Allen ripped off nine yards a pop on his 14 carries and nearly went toe-to-toe with Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson, who was named the game’s MVP.
While he may be Robin, he’s also the thunder to Singleton’s lightning, relying more on his physicality than breakaway speed. Allen’s low center of gravity makes him incredibly difficult to tackle and with both backs returning for their senior season, Penn State has the best backfield duo in the country.
AJ Harris was a first-year starter last season after transferring to Georgia, and he was immediately excellent in the role. A rangy outside corner at 6-foot-1, 184 pounds, Harris showed flashes of brilliance as a lockdown corner as a sophomore, but still has room to improve before heading off to the NFL as a potential first-round pick.
Harris will have to improve his ball skills this season after finishing 2024 with just three pass breakups and only one interception, but even without elite production, he’s more than capable of handling difficult assignments, even Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Harris wasn’t targeted once in Penn State’s loss to the Buckeyes.