Penn State Nittany Lions
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #15
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 18.1 (#15)
- SP+ Offense
- 35.1
- SP+ Defense
- 18.8
- SRS
- 14.4
- FPI
- 15.9
- Elo
- 1954
- Talent
- 910
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
10.0p10 8.0 — p90 11.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 6.1% | |
| Make CFP | 46.4% | |
| Quarterfinal | 25.8% | |
| Semifinal | 8.3% | |
| Natl. final | 2.5% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.9% |
Schedule
proj record 9.5–2.5
Schedule
38th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
48th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
28th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsMarshall | -4.5 | 39-11 | +28.2 | 98% | — |
| 2 | @Temple | -5.1 | 38-18 | +20.1 | 93% | — |
| 3 | vsBuffalo | -7.5 | 41-10 | +31.9 | 99% | — |
| 4 | vsWisconsin | -4.4 | 33-16 | +16.3 | 88% | — |
| 5 | @Northwestern | +5.8 | 34-21 | +12.5 | 82% | — |
| 6 | vsUSC | +16.9 | 26-25 | +0.7 | 53% | — |
| 7 | @Michigan | +12.4 | 24-28 | -3.8 | 40% | — |
| 9 | vsPurdue | -6.1 | 37-17 | +20.7 | 93% | — |
| 10 | @Washington | +18.4 | 23-26 | -3.4 | 42% | — |
| 11 | vsMinnesota | +1.5 | 33-18 | +15.2 | 86% | — |
| 12 | vsRutgers | +1 | 33-16 | +17.0 | 89% | — |
| 13 | @Maryland | +0.6 | 36-22 | +13.9 | 84% | — |
Quarterbacks · 2
2026 · 59
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Rocco Becht← Iowa State | JR | 6'1" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Alex Manske← Iowa State | FR | 6'3" | 225 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Carson Hansen← Iowa State | JR | 6'2" | 220 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | James Peoples← Ohio State | SO | 5'10" | 206 | ★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Cam Wallace | SO | 5'9" | 208 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Quinton Martin Jr. | FR | 6'1" | 206 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Tyler Holzworth | SR | 6'0" | 219 | — |
Wide Receivers · 10
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Trebor Pena | SR | 5'10" | 186 | ★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Brett Eskildsen← Iowa State | SO | 6'1" | 200 | ★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Chase Sowell← Iowa State | JR | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Devonte Ross | SR | 5'10" | 170 | — |
| WR | 5th | Kyron Hudson | SR | 6'1" | 215 | — |
| WR | 6th | Koby Howard | FR | 5'11" | 202 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Liam Clifford | SR | 6'1" | 206 | — |
| WR | 8th | Zay Robinson← Iowa State | FR | 5'11" | 185 | ★★★ |
| WR | — | Karon Brookins← Iowa State | FR | 6'5" | 200 | ★★★ |
| WR | — | Keith Jones Jr.← Grambling | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Benjamin Brahmer← Iowa State | JR | 6'7" | 255 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Gabe Burkle← Iowa State | JR | 6'6" | 255 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Khalil Dinkins | SR | 6'4" | 251 | — |
| TE | 4th | Andrew Rappleyea | SO | 6'4" | 251 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 5th | Cooper Alexander← Iowa State | FR | 6'4" | 245 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | — | Kuol Kuol II← Iowa State | FR | 6'6" | 290 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Will Tompkins← Iowa State | FR | 6'5" | 300 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 10
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1st | Yvan Kemajou | FR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 1st | Keanu Williams← UCLA | SR | 6'5" | 320 | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Ikenna Ezeogu← Iowa State | JR | 6'5" | 285 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Siale Taupaki← UCLA | JR | 6'4" | 335 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Armstrong Nnodim← Oklahoma State | FR | 6'2" | 290 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Dallas Vakalahi← Utah | SO | 6'2" | 313 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Alijah Carnell← Iowa State | FR | 6'5" | 290 | ★★★ |
| DT | 1st | Alonzo Ford Jr. | SR | 6'2" | 305 | — |
| DT | 2nd | Ty Blanding | SO | 6'1" | 292 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Alexander McPherson← Colorado | FR | 6'6" | 240 | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Kooper Ebel← Iowa State | JR | 6'4" | 235 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Caleb Bacon← Iowa State | SR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Dominic DeLuca | SR | 6'1" | 227 | — |
| LB | 4th | Cael Brezina← Iowa State | SO | 6'3" | 235 | ★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Tony Rojas | JR | 6'2" | 230 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Alex Tatsch | FR | 6'2" | 231 | ★★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Audavion Collins | JR | 5'11" | 180 | — |
| CB | 2nd | Zion Tracy | JR | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Daryus Dixson | FR | 6'0" | 191 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 4th | Jahmir Joseph | FR | 6'0" | 189 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 5th | Ibn McDaniels← Syracuse | FR | 6'3" | 205 | ★★★ |
| S | 1st | Marcus Neal Jr.← Iowa State | SO | 6'1" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| S | 2nd | Jamison Patton← Iowa State | JR | 6'2" | 210 | ★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Omarion Davis← Boston College | FR | 5'11" | 188 | ★★★ |
| S | 4th | Chris Fileppo← West Virginia | FR | 6'4" | 208 | ★★★ |
| S | 5th | Jeremiah Cooper← Iowa State | SR | 6'0" | 195 | ★★★ |
| S | 6th | Vaboue Toure | FR | 6'1" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| S | 7th | Karson Kiesewetter | SO | 5'10" | 194 | — |
| S | — | Hunter Sowell← Iowa State | FR | 5'10" | 170 | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | — | Cristiano Rosa← James Madison | JR | 6'0" | 207 | — |
| LS | 1st | Tyler Duzansky | SR | 6'4" | 222 | — |
| P | 1st | Gabriel Nwosu | SR | 6'6" | 292 | — |
| P | 2nd | Nathan Tiyce← Mississippi State | FR | 6'2" | 210 | ★★★ |
| PK | 1st | Ryan Barker | SO | 6'2" | 202 | — |
| PK | — | Matthew Parker | FR | 6'0" | 218 | — |
Season History · last 12
5 AP top-10 · 11 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6-6 | 3-6 | #15 | #2 | 1-0 |
| 2024 | 11-2 | 8-2 | #5 | #3 | 2-1 |
| 2023 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #5 | #6 | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #8 | #7 | 1-0 |
| 2021 | 7-5 | 4-5 | #19 | #4 | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 4-5 | 4-5 | #16 | — | — |
| 2019 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #6 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 9-3 | 6-3 | #15 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #6 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 11-2 | 9-1 | #11 | — | 0-1 |
| 2015 | 7-5 | 4-4 | #32 | — | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 6-6 | 2-6 | #36 | — | 1-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #15 · 157 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★216 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15 | 255 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| 2024 | #15 | 266 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| 2023 | #14 | 270 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| 2022 | #6 | 279 | 3 | 12 | 5 |
| 2021 | #21 | 216 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| 2020 | #15 | 256 | 0 | 12 | 5 |
| 2019 | #12 | 271 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| 2018 | #6 | 286 | 3 | 12 | 8 |
| 2017 | #15 | 240 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 2016 | #20 | 238 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 37net -11Out 48
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.1 / 3.2
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Rocco Becht | QB | 4★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▲ | Benjamin Brahmer | TE | 4★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▲ | Chase Sowell | WR | 4★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▲ | Caleb Bacon | LB | 4★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▼ | Chaz Coleman | EDGE | 5★ | → Tennessee |
| ▼ | Luke Reynolds | TE | 4★ | → Virginia Tech |
| ▼ | Xavier Gilliam | DL | 4★ | → Tennessee |
| ▼ | Ethan Grunkemeyer | QB | 4★ | → Virginia Tech |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Only Anthony Donkoh Until Penn State FootballPenn State will open its season in 68 days at Beaver Stadium against Marshall. Prized offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh will hope to be fully healthy and in the starting lineup against the Thundering Herd, wearing No. 68. The redshirt junior emerged back in 2024, earning his way into the starting lineup at right tackle as […]
- If Penn State Football Fizzles in 2026, Here's What Went WrongThe Nittany Lions have little margin for error at some roster spots this season.PSU8h
- Penn State’s Beaver Stadium to become largest CFB venue ever in 2026Penn State has had the second-biggest stadium in college football for some time now, but that is set to change during the 2026 season.PSU21h
- How Potent Can Virginia Tech's Offense Be in 2026?The Hokies' offense will feature a new signal-caller in 2026: Ethan Grunkemeyer (1,339 yds, eight TDs and four INT in 2025).
- Only Back-to-Back Undefeated Seasons Until Penn State FootballPenn State opens its football season at home in 69 days against Marshall. There’s no No. 69 on this year’s football roster, but in 1969, the Lions completed a second straight unbeaten season and finished No. 2 in the national polls. Penn State, fresh off their unbeaten 1968 season and a win in the Orange […]PSU1d
- Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State K Ryan BarkerRyan Barker returns to handle Penn State's placekicking duties in 2026.
- Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State QB Kase EvansFreshman Kase Evans comes to Penn State in the Class of 2026 out of Texas after backing off his commitment to Iowa State. How does he fit in 2026?PSU1d
- Where Penn State athletes rank in EA Sports’ College Football 27Penn State has five players ranked in the top 10 at their position in EA Sports’ College Football 27.PSU1d
- Penn State Football Week in Review: How Matt Campbell Landed a QuarterbackCheck out our top Penn State football stories for the last week of June.PSU1d
- Penn State football just landed a player who could end up being a legit steal in the 2027 recruiting classThe Penn State Nittany Lions are finding some good, hidden talent in their 2027 recruiting class.PSU1d
- College football futures: Why a +2000 longshot offers the best odds to win 2026 Big Ten titleHere's why Penn State offers the best value in futures marketsPSU2d
- Tennessee dismisses star edge rusher Chaz Coleman in $2 million transfer portal disasterOne of college football’s biggest transfer portal splashes has turned into a $2 million disaster for Tennessee.
- Chaz Coleman, Tennessee part ways as Vols' massive transfer bet goes bustColeman arrived as a top-10 transfer and one of Tennessee's splashiest NIL-era additions. Months later, the Vols are moving on.
- EA Sports College Football 27 team ratings for Penn State and Big TenThe three best teams in EA Sports College Football 27 will be from the Big Ten. Where does Penn State rank?PSU2d
- Penn State Quarterback Commit Will Wood Details His Road to the 2027 ClassWood is the first high school quarterback to commit to Matt Campbell's Nittany Lions.PSU2d
- Penn State football loses out on a player they desperately needed for their 2027 recruiting classThe Penn State Nittany Lions are still in a decent position with their 2027 recruiting class, but missing out on Lucas Rhoa could hurt.PSU2d
- Penn State enters race for 4-star running back from Class of 2028Penn State is always trying to add more running back talent, and they’re doing it again after offering 4-star running back Jayshawn Mitchell.PSU2d
- Tennessee football dismisses Penn State transfer for medical reasonsThe Tennessee football program has medically disqualified this Penn State transfer, as he missed a various amount of workouts.PSU2d
- Lane Kiffin and LSU hold one of the biggest ‘what ifs' for Tennessee after Vols and Chaz Coleman part waysThe Vols could see one of their former players at a sudden position of need star for their former head coach in 2026.
- Tennessee prized transfer Chaz Coleman no longer with Vols football programTennessee edge rusher Chaz Coleman, a top transfer in from Penn State, is no longer with the Vols' program after being medically disqualified