With the transfer portal becoming more and more a staple and the main pathway to build a contender right away, retention of players is key to building continuity and strategy for prolonged success.
That route is exactly the one that Penn State will be taking next season, as quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton all announced on Monday that they are returning to the program next season.
Penn State Has the Talent To Be a Top-Five Program in 2025
Each of the aforementioned players — especially Allen and Singleton — could have declared for the draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the running backs ranked fifth and sixth at the position in the upcoming draft class.
Allar is a young signal-caller still developing and was a long shot to declare for the draft after his poor performance against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
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Nonetheless, all three players will be back at Penn State next year and are fantastic cornerstones for a program trying to expound on what they achieved this season.
Despite losing tight end Tyler Warren and Abdul Carter to the 2025 NFL Draft, are these returning players enough for Penn State to be a top-five team next year?
Quarterback is the top position of need with any football team — college or NFL — attempting to build a contending roster.
Luckily for the Nittany Lions, they will have a talented, veteran presence at the helm with Allar returning for another season. Pairing a veteran quarterback with two returning, productive running backs will make it easier to round out the rest of the roster.
Carter’s departure will leave a dent in the pass-rushing department, but the core of the defense remains.
Right now, you could probably label Penn State as a borderline top-five team, but there are a few teams that are most likely going to be in the race who will need to figure out the quarterback position.
Per usual, Georgia will lose many players to the draft, as it does each and every year. In addition, Carson Beck transferred to Miami, as the Hurricanes were in need of a quarterback, as Cam Ward is considered a top-five pick in the upcoming draft.
Ohio State, who will be playing for the CFP National Championship on Jan. 20, will also have talent leave for the draft and will need to fill the void at quarterback with Will Howard in his final season of college eligibility.
Oregon — another premier Big Ten team — will have a new quarterback under center with Dillon Gabriel in the same boat as Howard from Ohio State.
Former five-star quarterback Dante Moore, who served as the backup for Gabriel this season, will most likely take over the role in 2025.
If Allar can take that next step and prove that he is one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, Penn State has a legitimate shot of entering that top-five conversation while battling for a title next season.
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