We are just two days from Penn State football’s season opener against Nevada. After a deep run in the College Football Playoff, Penn State’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion at the hands of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In the Orange Bowl defeat, no wide receivers caught a pass from quarterback Drew Allar, a statistic that has plagued the minds of the Nittany Lion faithful since January.

This season, quarterback Drew Allar heads into his final year with Heisman-like expectations. However, with a new and improved supporting cast and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki still with the program, the three-year starter could turn out to be the difference maker that gets Penn State back to championship glory.

Three starting-caliber wide receivers in Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross, and Trebor Peña joined the ranks to help bolster a position that has been in desperate need of a facelift. In addition, Penn State welcomes back the two-headed monster of a backfield in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to solidify the rushing game’s efficiency.

Let’s take a look at the potential starting lineup for some of Penn State football’s biggest weapons.

Quarterback

Starter: Drew Allar

Bench: Ethan Grunkemeyer, Jaxon Smolik, Jack Lambert, Bekkem Kritza

It’s Allar’s year. The Ohio native decided to return to the program after receiving national media attention as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Nittany Lion had an incredible season last year, tallying 3,327 yards through the air on 262 completions with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was also a threat on the ground, racking up 302 yards and six touchdowns.

Allar will be trusted to run the entire offense with his primary backup, Beau Pribula finding a new home with Missouri this offseason. According to James Franklin’s game-week press conference on Monday, the Nittany Lion signal caller had an impressive progression this offseason, becoming more athletic, faster, and more explosive. The head coach also mentioned that Allar has grown as a leader as well, finding his voice and being a strong captain for the team.

As of Wednesday’s practice, James Franklin tabbed Ethan Grunkemeyer as Penn State’s backup quarterback. Throughout the offseason, Grunkemeyer and redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smolik squared off in direct competition for the QB2 position. Although Kotelnicki’s offense has some unpredictable tendencies, it remains to be said whether either quarterback will see the field much this season.

Running Backs

Starters: Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen

Bench: Quinton Martin Jr., Corey Smith, Cam Wallace, Amiel Davis, Tyler Holzworth, Tikey Hayes, Jabree Coleman

Aside from Allar, the return of the star-studded running back duo of Singleton and Allen sent shock waves throughout the Penn State fanbase. The two running backs form a great pairing, bringing different running styles to create a unique one-two punch that opposing defenses fear.

Singleton recorded 1,099 rushing yards on 172 carries, and 12 touchdowns while adding 41 catches for 375 receiving yards and five touchdowns through the air. The Nittany Lion sits fifth all-time at Penn State in rushing touchdowns with 32 and 10th in rushing yards with 2,912.

Allen also impressed last season, reaching career highs in carries and rushing yards. In total, Allen tabbed 1,108 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 220 carries. Through the air, Allen had 18 receptions for 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Singleton and Allen were one of two FBS running back duos to each tally 1,000 yards. Because of this dominance, snap share will be difficult to come by for the rest of the position group. An option to look out for would be redshirt freshman Quinton Martin Jr.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña, Devonte Ross, Koby Howard, Liam Clifford, Tyseer Denmark

Bench: Anthony Ivey, Josiah Brown, Logan Cunningham, Ethan Black, Peter Gonzalez, Aaron Enterline, Matt Outten, Lyrick Samuel, Jeff Exinor Jr.

The wide receiver room looks quite different this year with three brand-new weapons for Allar. The offense primarily focused on the running back and tight end positions, leaving the wide receiver position largely uninvolved for the majority of the season.

Hudson, the USC transfer, was a reliable, sure-handed receiver for the Trojans last season. The senior tallied 38 catches for 462 yards and three touchdowns. As of now, Hudson would be the starting X receiver in the Penn State offense.

Peña brings a versatile style of play that should play right into a starting position as the slot receiver. In his final season with Syracuse, Peña hauled in 84 receptions for 941 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Ross, the transfer out of Troy, could see most of his reps come from the Z receiver position. With the Trojans last season, Ross secured 76 receptions for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns. Like Peña, the speedy receiver was also utilized in special team reps as a returner at his former team.

During Franklin’s press conference on Monday, he revealed that the Nittany Lions are two-deep at each wide receiver position. While the three transfers have been a massive upgrade, Franklin discussed the rep share and impact that Koby Howard, Tyseer Denmark, and Liam Clifford would have this season as rotational players.