Penn State Nittany Lions
Big Ten
7-6 (4-5 conf)
SP+ #19AP #4
Ratings
2021
- SP+
- 14.3 (#19)
- SP+ Offense
- 28.0
- SP+ Defense
- 14.6
- SRS
- 14.0
- FPI
- 11.8
- Elo
- 1755
- Talent
- 821
- Recruiting
- 216 (#21)
Schedule
record 7–6
Schedule
20th
toughest of 130
Offenses faced
63rd
toughest of 130
Defenses faced
10th
toughest of 130
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 130 (easiest) · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Margin | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @Wisconsin | +20.1 | 16-10 | +6 | W |
| 2 | vsBall State | -11.2 | 44-13 | +31 | W |
| 3 | vsAuburn | +11 | 28-20 | +8 | W |
| 4 | vsVillanova | FCS | 38-17 | +21 | W |
| 5 | vsIndiana | -7.8 | 24-0 | +24 | W |
| 6 | @Iowa | +11.4 | 20-23 | -3 | L |
| 8 | vsIllinois | +4.3 | 18-20 | -2 | L |
| 9 | @Ohio State | +29.3 | 24-33 | -9 | L |
| 10 | @Maryland | +6.2 | 31-14 | +17 | W |
| 11 | vsMichigan | +23.4 | 17-21 | -4 | L |
| 12 | vsRutgers | -3 | 28-0 | +28 | W |
| 13 | @Michigan State | +11.2 | 27-30 | -3 | L |
| 1 ·P | NArkansas | +13.8 | 10-24 | -14 | L |
Quarterbacks · 3
2021 · 58
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Sean Clifford | — | — | — | — |
| QB | 2nd | Christian Veilleux | SR | 6'5" | 209 | ★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Ta'Quan Roberson | SR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Keyvone Lee | SR | 6'0" | 225 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Noah Cain | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Devyn Ford | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| RB | 4th | John Lovett | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Caziah Holmes | SR | 5'11" | 219 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 6th | Tank Smith | — | — | — | ★★★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Jahan Dotson | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Parker Washington | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Keandre Lambert | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Malick Meiga | SR | 6'4" | 200 | — |
| WR | 5th | Cam Sullivan-Brown | — | — | — | — |
| WR | 6th | Mason Stahl | — | — | — | — |
| WR | 7th | Winston Eubanks | — | — | — | — |
Tight Ends · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Brenton Strange | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Theo Johnson | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Tyler Warren | — | — | — | — |
Defensive Line · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1st | Arnold Ebiketie | — | — | — | — |
| DE | 2nd | Nick Tarburton | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| DE | 3rd | Zuriah Fisher | SR | 6'3" | 258 | ★★★★ |
| DE | 4th | Amin Vanover | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DL | 1st | Fatorma Mulbah | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Smith Vilbert | SR | 6'6" | 282 | — |
| DL | — | Kyle King | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DT | 1st | Derrick Tangelo | — | — | — | — |
| DT | 2nd | Coziah Izzard | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| DT | 3rd | PJ Mustipher | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| DT | 4th | Dvon Ellies | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
Linebackers · 10
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Ellis Brooks | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 2nd | Brandon Smith | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 3rd | Curtis Jacobs | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Jesse Luketa | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Jonathan Sutherland | — | — | — | — |
| LB | 6th | Charlie Katshir | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Tyler Elsdon | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Jamari Buddin | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 9th | Kobe King | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | 10th | Cody Romano | — | — | — | — |
Defensive Backs · 15
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Joey Porter Jr. | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Tariq Castro-Fields | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Daequan Hardy | — | — | — | — |
| CB | 4th | Kalen King | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| CB | 5th | John Dixon | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Marquis Wilson | — | — | — | — |
| DB | 2nd | A.J. Lytton | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 1st | Ji'Ayir Brown | — | — | — | — |
| S | 2nd | Jaquan Brisker | — | — | — | — |
| S | 3rd | Keaton Ellis | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 4th | Tyler Rudolph | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 5th | Drew Hartlaub | — | — | — | — |
| S | 6th | Jaylen Reed | — | — | — | ★★★★ |
| S | 7th | Zakee Wheatley | SR | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| S | — | Sebastain Costantini | — | — | — | — |
Special Teams · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK | 1st | Jordan Stout | — | — | — | — |
| PK | 2nd | Rafael Checa | — | — | — | — |
| PK | — | Jake Pinegar | — | — | — | ★★★ |
2021 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
28.045
Off PPA
+0.1325
Pass PPA
+0.2437
Rush PPA
-0.014
Success
40%24
Explosive
1.2649
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2021 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.13 | +0.05 |
| Passing | +0.24 | +0.03 |
| Rushing | -0.01 | +0.06 |
| 1st Down | -0.02 | -0.07 |
| 2nd Down | +0.14 | +0.01 |
| 3rd Down | +0.43 | +0.33 |
Scoring Trend
2021 · pts/game
PPG For
26.3
PPG Against
16.8
Differential
+9.5
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / LResults
2021
- Overall
- 7-5
- Home
- 5-2
- Away
- 2-3
- Conference
- 4-5
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 2-4
- Avg Margin
- +9.5
Situational Splits
2021 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 5-2 | 28.1 | 13.0 |
| Away | 2-3 | 23.6 | 22.0 |
| Neutral | 0-1 | 10.0 | 24.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 1-3 | 16.8 | 22.0 |
| Conference | 4-5 | 22.8 | 16.8 |
| Non-conference | 3-1 | 30.0 | 18.5 |
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 |
Recent Form · last 5
2-3 SU · 2-2 ATS · O1/U3
Betting Profile
2021 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 7-6 |
| ATS | 7-558% |
| Over / Under | 3-9 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 5-3 |
| As underdog | 2-2 |
| Home | 4-3 |
| Away | 3-2 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
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
talent #16
Returning prod 84%Departed 16%
Talent composite820.7 #16 / 224
Returning usage (pass / rush / rec)82 / 78 / 84
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2021
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Penn State a strong contender for Top247 offensive linemanPenn State hasn’t done a ton of work for the Class of 2028, but one of its players is showing a ton of interest in the school.PSU8h
- Penn State's Big Ten media day representatives namedPenn State selects Tony Rojas, Anthony Donkoh, and Rocco Becht to represent the team at Big Ten media days.PSU8h
- James Franklin Defends Penn State Nittany Lions Legacy After FiringWhen head coach James Franklin first got to Happy Valley, the Penn State Nittany Lions were a mess. Still dealing with fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the program faced very real questions about where it would sit in the world of college football moving forward, and under Franklin’s leadership, they consistently became a Top […] The post James Franklin Defends Penn State Nittany Lions Legacy After Firing appeared first on HEAVY.PSU10h
- 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.PSU19h
- 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.PSU1d
- 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.PSU2d
- 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.PSU3d
- 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.PSU3d