We are only days removed from the College Football Playoff National Championship, where the Ohio State Buckeyes captured the title. But another Big Ten program is the team to beat in 2025, at least according to one college football analyst. Fox’s Joel Klatt has already anointed the Penn State Nittany Lions as the No.1 ranked team in the nation for 2025.
Joel Klatt: Penn State Has ‘A Clear Blueprint’
On his podcast, The Joel Klatt Show, the prominent college football analyst said that the Nittany Lions are “knocking on the door of a national championship.”
“There is a clear blueprint in college football that has been now established over the last two years,” Klatt said. “Everything runs in cycles, and right now, the cycle is about veteran, experienced players. You’ve gotta have them. And it’s even more valuable when they come from your own program.”
That sounds like the Nittany Lions, who bring back several key contributors from a 2024 semifinal run.
“Now they bring all those key pieces back to their team. This is the blueprint,” Klatt said.
Despite losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the semifinals and finishing 13-3, Penn State has several key starters returning, including quarterback Drew Allar and one of the best running back tandems in the country in Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.
Heisman Candidate Drew Allar Highlights Penn State’s Returning Production
Allar has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy and draws interest as one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
He finished the season with a 153.5 rating, 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 3,327 total yards for an average of 8.4 yards per attempt. Even more impressive, he completed 67% of his passes, about 7% better than in 2023, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will return in 2025.
Not to be outdone, Allen amassed 1,108 yards this season on the ground with eight TDs and 18 receptions for 153 yards and two scores. Singleton had 1,099 rushing yards, 41 receptions, 375 yards, and five TDs.
The receiver room will be revamped, but that’s a position group that struggled at times for the Nittany Lions, failing to catch a pass in their Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame.
The Nittany Lions haven’t been ranked No. 1 since 1997, when they beat an unranked Minnesota Golden Gophers team at Beaver Stadium, 16-15, but fell to No. 2 due to the narrow margin of victory.
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Now, Penn State looks like an early contender in 2025. Some, like Klatt, think the Nittany Lions are good enough to be No. 1. With continuity at key positions and a clear blueprint, Penn State looks poised for another strong season.
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