For the first time since 2012, the Michigan Wolverines will not have the Penn State Nittany Lions on their schedule during Big Ten play. The Wolverines went 7-4 in 11 straight seasons where the Big Ten foes faced off, including a three-game winning streak to close out the series.
With more contenders entering the Big Ten via the dismantled Pac-12 conference, Penn State hopes to be in Indianapolis by the year’s end. A favorable Big Ten schedule could put the Nittany Lions in a position to be among the top contenders for both a conference title appearance and potentially a College Football Playoff spot thanks to the new 12-team model.
We’ll dive into the offseason news and notes from what has been an eventful offseason in Happy Valley.
The Basics:
2023 record: 10-3
2024 projected wins: 10.5 (per DraftKings)
Roster Moves:
Key draft losses: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Edge Chop Robinson, OT Caeden Wallace, Edge Adisa Isaac, TE Theo Johnson, C Hunter Nourzad, CB Daequan Hardy, CB Kalen King
Key portal losses: WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn), S King Mack (Alabama), WR Malik McClain (Arizona State), DT Jordan van den Berg (Georgia Tech)
Key portal additions: CB Jalen Kimber (Florida), CB A.J. Harris (Georgia), OT Nolan Rucci (Wisconsin), WR Julian Fleming (Ohio State), edge Jordan Mayer (Wisconsin)
For more on Penn State’s portal endeavors, click here
State of the Program:
The biggest news of the offseason has been a lawsuit against James Franklin and the Penn State Athletic Department by a team doctor who alleged that he was removed from his position as retaliation for complaining about Franklin.
A jury awarded Dr. Scott Lynch $5.25 million in May because he cited multiple instances where Franklin opposed his medical analyses including Franklin’s desire to pull a scholarship from a player who was put into a psychiatric ward because of s attempted suicide. Another highlight was Franklin encouraging the medical staff not to wrap players’ ankles because of a 1.6 million dollar contract with Nike saying that no Nike logo could be covered — including their socks. Franklin and the athletic department never had to testify due to the case's statute of limitations. The university reportedly found “friction” between Lynch and Franklin, but found no violations of Franklin or anyone else at Penn State breaking Big Ten or NCAA rules. However, the report recommended further inquiry into the case.
Amidst this off-the-field drama, Penn State has also had some rather large changes in their coaching staff. Franklin lost all three of his coordinators from 2023: offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, and special teams Stacy Collins. Yurchich was fired by Penn State in November despite the Nittany Lions having the No. 12 offense in college football, averaging 36.2 points per game. Former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will take over after working with Lance Leipold in Lawrence, Buffalo, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the previous decade. Kotelnicki’s offense is known for its tough-nosed rushing, averaging 38.3 attempts on the ground per game in 2023 which ranked 36th in the country.
Meanwhile, Diaz left the program to become the head coach at Duke and was replaced by former Indiana football head coach Tom Allen. Diaz led one of the best defenses in college football last season, statistically, and Allen will be tasked with continuing his approach along with the knowledge that he already possesses of the Big Ten programs.
The good news for the new coordinators is that they are adopting some really talented players. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will compete for the best running back duo in college football, playing right in line with the new Kotelnicki offense. The wide receiver room lost a top dog in KeAndre Lambert-Smith to the transfer portal, but also gained former five-star prospect and Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming from the portal. Fleming and senior tight end Tyler Warren should be a strong pass-catching duo for starting quarterback Drew Allar.
Allar was a rather efficient game manager for the Nittany Lions last season throwing for 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions. However, he must take a step forward for this team to reach their goals. The junior quarterback completed just 45.6 percent of his passes in Penn State’s three most important games — at Ohio State, vs. Michigan, and in the Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss. Unsurprisingly, those were also the only three losses on Penn State’s schedule in 2023. Their 2024 season will depend on Allar ascending to more than a game manager and maintaining efficiency in big games.
The defense also has six of its 11 starters returning, including three on the defensive line. Edge Abdul Carter has NFL scouts salivating, and starting safeties Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr. hope to hold down the secondary after the program lost both starting corners to the NFL Draft. This unit has every right to be among the nation’s best once again.
It’s a favorable 2024 schedule for the Nittany Lions, too. They avoid both Oregon and Michigan, two of the best programs in the Big Ten. Instead, they get Illinois, UCLA, Ohio State, and Washington at home, with their toughest road contests happening earlier in the season against West Virginia in the season opener, and USC and Wisconsin on the road at midseason. This all sets up for Penn State to make its first College Football Playoff appearance this season.
