Nevada (0-0) at No. 2 Penn State (0-0)
Saturday, August 30, 3:30 p.m.
Beaver Stadium, University Park
UNIVERSITY PARK — It has been a long time since the Penn State Nittany Lion football team went into a new season ranked as high as No. 2 in the country.
The ranking is an indication of how highly the Lions are thought of going into the 2025 campaign, not only by their own fans but by many football experts and the national sports media.
The Associated Press poll has them at No. 2 behind No. 1 Texas, for example, and a Big Ten poll ranked them No. 1 in the conference. Even Sports Illustrated called them the favorites to take the national title.
Of course the only polls that really count are the ones taken after all the games have been played, and that journey will begin for Penn State on Saturday, August 30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.
All the conversation about the Lions is not surprising.
Penn State returns experienced players everywhere from its 13-3 team last year, and it has depth and high-level players—if not stars—at every position.
Quarterback Drew Allar is back after leading the team to the National Semifinal last year, and he has perhaps the best running back tandem in the country in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
The offensive line, with returners Drew Shelton, Vega Ioane, Nick Dawkins, Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci, has become one of the strengths of the team, while even with the loss of All-Everything Tyler Warren, the tight end room is still strong with Khalil Dinkins, Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea.
The wide receiver corps has been revitalized with transfers Kyron Hudson, Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross, joining returners including Liam Clifford and Tyseer Denmark.
New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, coming off a national title with Ohio State, will have the makings of a possibly elite unit.
Players like DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, DT Zane Durant, LBs Dom DeLuca and Tony Rojas, S Zakee Wheatley, and CBs AJ Harris and Elliot Washington II will all return for the new year.
And punter Riley Thompson is among the best in the country, while K Ryan Barker will be back for his second year.
It is a formidable group, and it will begin putting everything on the field on Saturday against Nevada.
The Wolf Pack will be in head coach Jeff Choate’s second year and coming off a 3-10 record in 2024.
The team is in a rebuilding program and will reportedly have as many as 50 new players from recruiting and the transfer portal.
Fifth-year senior Chubba Purdy, a transfer from Nebraska in 2023, will take over as the Wolf Pack signal caller. Purdy passed for 239 yards and a touchdown as a backup last year.
Nevada lost four top running backs, but Utah State transfer Herschel Turner (405 yards in ‘24) is set to take the position, while WR Marcus Bellon has been named preseason All-Mountain West at wide receiver and punt returner.
Nevada will be rebuilding the offensive line after four lost starters, so there is concern there even though four players transferred in.
Nevada’s defense allowed 28.8 points per game last year, better than the year before, but still toward the bottom of the national rankings.
The defensive line returns DEs Dylan LaBarbera and Jonathan Maldonado, both accomplished edge rushers, although the interior line will rely on transfers.
Nevada also lost all five of its starters in the secondary.
In all, Nevada was competitive in 2024, losing six one-score games due to fourth-quarter penalty and turnover problems.
The Wolf Pack lost close games to No. 12 SMU, 29-24, to GA Southern, 20-17, to Fresno State, 24-21, and No. 8 Boise State, 28-21.
They beat Oregon State, 42-37, Eastern Washington, 49-16, and Troy, 28-26.
Penn State will enter the game as a significant favorite, especially in a season-opener at home, but the Lions are not without their own question marks and they will be closely watched.
Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium.
