Penn State football is almost back, folks.

After the 10-3 season that culminated in a Peach Bowl loss last year, James Franklin and Co. are headed into the new year with three new coordinators and open the season at West Virginia on August 31.

On the offensive side, quarterback Drew Allar is headed into his second year with a mountain of expectations surrounding him, and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has only fueled the anticipation for the second-year starter’s season. While the running back room will look similar to last year, the addition of Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming, and a healthy Trey Wallace, could help reinvigorate a wide receiver room that struggled last year.

Quarterback

• Starter: Drew Allar
• Backup: Beau Pribula
• Reserve: Ethan Grunkemeyer

After his first season leading the Nittany Lions’ offense, Allar heads into his second year needing to establish himself as a playmaker. Allar struggled in the big games last season but still managed to complete 233 passes for 2,631 yards. He added 25 touchdowns on only two interceptions last year, with one coming in the last game of the season at the Peach Bowl.

Backup quarterback Beau Pribula may see more game action this year under Kotelnicki’s new offense. Franklin consistently talked about using Pribula in the offense last season but only started to lean on Pribula more during the win against Maryland. The York, Pennsylvania, native finished last year with 149 passing yards and four touchdowns while adding 329 rushing yards for six touchdowns.

With quarterback Jaxon Smolik missing time with an injury, true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer will likely take over the third-string spot when the season starts. Grunkemeyer was a high-profile recruit out of Olentangy High School in Ohio before committing to the Nittany Lions as a four-star, according to 247Sports.

Running Back

• Starters: Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen
• Backup: Cam Wallace
• Reserves: Quinton Martin Jr., Corey Smith, Amiel Davis, Tyler Holzworth

This year’s running back room will stick to the “co-starter” model Franklin has used over the past two seasons. Juniors Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have embraced sharing the field and splitting drives.

Last year, Allen led the team with 851 yards on 162 carries and six touchdowns while Singleton carried the ball for 702 yards and eight touchdowns on 163 carries.

Redshirt freshman Cam Wallace will most likely act as the backup this year after playing his high school ball at Mongomery County High School in Georgia. The rest of the room will be filled out by redshirt juniors Amiel Davis and Tyler Holzworth, as well as freshmen Corey Smith and Quinton Martin Jr.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Trey Wallace, Julian Fleming, Liam Clifford

Backups: Omari Evans, Kaden Saunders, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Ivey, Mehki Flowers

After struggling last season and losing top receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to the transfer portal, the wide receivers are a position group with a lot of uncertainty heading into the new season.

The room received a boost from Fleming over the offseason who comes to Happy Valley after four years with Ohio State, racking up 990 yards and seven touchdowns.

Another factor in this year’s room is Wallace, who missed five games due to injury last season. Despite only making six starts in eight appearances last season, Wallace was a reliable target with 228 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The third wide receiver spot could go to Liam Clifford, Kaden Saunders, or Omari Evans. Clifford started in one game last year but saw action in all 13 with 130 yards on 13 receptions. Kaden Saunders appeared in 12 games last year, both on offense and as the punt returner. Most of Saunders’ game action was as a punt returner, but the wide receiver also posted six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown during last year’s campaign.

After a big performance in the 2023 Blue-White Game, Evans showed flashes of being a valuable addition to the wide receiver room. The success didn’t carry over and the wide receiver ended the season with 94 yards and a touchdown in 11 appearances.