The brief offseason has concluded. There’s no more time for snoozing alarms. Penn State started winter workouts on Tuesday, a grueling multi-week gauntlet that separates hard workers from the bulk of their peers and gives the coaching staff its first taste of the talent at their disposal.
There are 186 days until the Nittany Lions open their season against Nevada. That’s 186 days to get in adequate shape, become fluent in the playbook and establish a unit viable for a national championship. That is, of course, the goal. More so next season than potentially any other in James Franklin’s tenure. The pieces are there, and the road to greatness has begun.
Here are the top storylines that revolve around Penn State at the start of winter workouts, just a month and a half after the conclusion of a run to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
FITTING THE KNOWLES MOLD
The Nittany Lions brought in six transfers since closing the door on the regular season, all the way back on Nov. 30. But no acquisition drew even remotely as many headlines as Jim Knowles, who left Ohio State just a week after winning a national title and replaced Tom Allen as Penn State’s defensive coordinator.
Under Knowles, the Buckeyes veered far from their woes of years past and blossomed into the top statistical defense in the nation this past season. The Nittany Lions haven’t had much defensive concern in five seasons, but adjusting to a new coordinator is never an immediate process.
The winter-workout period will serve as the team’s first opportunity to grow accustomed to Knowles, his coaching style and his system. Knowles typically operates a 4-2-5 defense, a personnel Penn State has grown accustomed to in recent years. That should simplify things for players in their first days and weeks of analyzing their new defensive playbook.
SEARCHING (AGAIN) FOR WR1
The addition of Knowles was a splash that signaled the legitimacy of Franklin’s push for a national championship in 2025. But questions still linger in regard to one position group in particular: wide receiver, in a bid for the top of the sport. This was a unit that failed to register a single catch against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. So, clearly, change is needed.
And reinforcements have already been made. The team’s top two receivers from 2024, Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, have transferred out. Troy transfer Devonte Ross and USC transfer Kyron Hudson presumably take their place as starters. But who will take the reins as quarterback Drew Allar’s top target? Penn State will have a better sense over the coming weeks.
The Nittany Lions haven’t had a wide receiver eclipse 800 receiving yards in a season since Jahan Dotson in 2021. Ross led Troy with 1,043 receiving yards this past year and Hudson tallied 462 on a brighter stage. It wouldn’t hurt for Franklin to find another target for Allar, but these are the top two he’ll work with this winter.
ROAD TO RECOVERY FOR INJURED PLAYERS
Over the course of the longest season in program history, Penn State was unsurprisingly plagued with a handful of injuries. The team’s final availability report, released ahead of its first-round playoff matchup with SMU, featured eight players currently on roster: wide receiver Kaden Saunders, running back Cam Wallace, linebacker Keon Wylie, defensive end Zuriah Fisher, defensive linemen Alonzo Ford Jr. and Kaleb Artis and tight end Andrew Rappleyea.
Just about half of these players are vying for a starting spot next season. Wylie could fill the void left by Kobe King at middle linebacker. Fisher could take Abdul Carter’s place at defensive end. Either Ford or Artis could make the jump beside Zane Durant at defensive tackle. And Andrew Rappleyea is expected to compete for Tyler Warren’s vacant tight end position.
Tony Rojas is another player who has recently been banged up. Rojas, who started all 16 games this past season, was present for Penn State men’s basketball’s loss to Ohio State on Jan. 30, and wore a sling over his right arm. Winter workouts will be an opportunity to get Rojas and the rest of the team’s injured players back up to speed.
OFFENSIVE POSITION BATTLES
The workout period will also kick off various position battles across both sides of the ball.
On offense, Donkoh and Nolan Rucci will compete for the starting right tackle spot. That was a job Donkoh ultimately won in the fall and held until an injury ended his season in late November. Rucci then took over, and impressed across five starts.
At right guard, Cooper Cousins, JB Nelson and Texas A&M transfer TJ Shanahan will work to take over for the departed Sal Wormley. Cousins earned rave reviews over his true freshman year in 2024 and will be difficult to keep off the field; Nelson started eight games at left guard in 2023 and has been a rotational piece since; and Shanahan started five games for the Aggies this past season.
Luke Reynolds, who played a prominent role as a true freshman in 2024, could be in line to replace Warren, especially if Rappleyea isn’t fully recovered from an injury that ended his season in September. Liam Clifford and Tyseer Denmark will likely battle for the third starting receiver spot and Wallace, Corey Smith and Quinton Martin Jr. are set to compete to back up Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen at running back.
DEFENSIVE POSITION BATTLES
There are a few vacancies on defense, as well. At cornerback, Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins are in line to fill the void left by Jalen Kimber. And at safety, Alabama transfer King Mack, in his return to the Nittany Lions, likely presents himself as the favorite to replace Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed, but could find competition with second-year Dejuan Lane.
King’s middle linebacker spot is open and a few intriguing names come to mind. Wylie missed the entire season with an injury, but practiced with the team toward the end of the year and tallied three sacks and five tackles for loss in 2023. He is set to battle with Anthony Speca, Ta’Mere Robinson, DaKaari Nelson and potentially others for King’s spot.
And, finally, at defensive end, Fisher presents himself as the most likely candidate to replace Abdul Carter. Max Granville could also work into the mix for a starting role beside Dani Dennis-Sutton.
FRESHMEN, TRANSFERS GET ACCLIMATED
There were 14 scholarship signees for Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class who joined the program in January: quarterback Bekkem Kritza, running back Tikey Hayes, tight end Brian Kortovich, offensive lineman Owen Aliciene, linebackers LaVar Arrington II and Alex Tatsch, defensive backs Daryus Dixson and Braz Thomas, wide receivers Koby Howard, Matt Outten and Lyrick Samuel and defensive linemen Randy Adirika, Dayshaun Burnett, Yvan Kemajou.
They will join the Nittany Lions’ six transfers — Ross, Hudson, Mack, Shanahan and defensive linemen Enai White (Texas A&M) and Owen Wafle (Michigan) — in acclimating themselves with the program this winter.
