If you can’t beat ’em, poach ’em’? That’s basically Penn State’s playbook right now. They dropped a cool $3.1 million to snatch defensive coordinator Jim Knowles straight from Ohio State. And they didn’t stop there. They snagged Andy Kotelnicki, one of the top offensive coordinators around. And his scheme mirrors Notre Dame’s—built on a powerful run game and an elite defense. With arguably the best DC and OC in college football, they’ve got all the pieces in place. On paper, they look like serious contenders, no doubt. But some insiders are saying James Franklin’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. So will Penn State finally break through this time, or are we going to see another year of ‘almost’?
In the Feb 22nd episode of the PFF College Football Show, Max Chadwick, and Dalton Wasserman sounded the alarm on Penn State’s wide receiver and running back room. Wasserman put it bluntly, saying, “This team has got such a high floor with the amount of talent. Really, we only have one question about them, and it’s just the weapons in the passing game. And even then, during the regular season, Andy Kotelnicki—he was the master of it at Kansas. He did it very well at Penn State this past year, obviously found an elite player in Warren. But even at wide receiver, he always finds a way for his weapons to punch above their weight class, right?”
Just look at his Kansas numbers: three years, and they were crushing it—12th in the country in 20+ yard plays, 15th in 30+ yard plays, and 11th in 40+ yard plays. Red zone, third downs? They were consistently efficient. Now, he’s bringing that magic to Penn State. But Wasserman didn’t stop there. He added, “That’s kind of a phrase we’ve used a lot with Kotelnicki, ’cause you look at this wide receiver group—it’s pretty average at best, right? This has been the main issue with Penn State.” So, with those receiver questions, can Kotelnicki pull off a miracle? We’ll see, but honestly, this weakness could wreck Franklin’s playoff chances.
See, in today’s game, explosive offenses win championships. But PSU’s lack of elite playmakers at wide receiver and running back could spell trouble. And without reliable targets, Drew Allar can face immense pressure to carry the offense. If receivers can’t get open and the run game stumbles, defenses are gonna key on Allar, and Penn State’s gonna have a bad time. Against those B1G heavyweights like Michigan and OSU, that could be the deciding factor between a playoff run and another year of close calls.
But don’t worry, there’s still hope for Penn State. And Wasserman pointed to a key advantage—Kotelnicki’s scheming ability. He said, “But Kotelnicki knows how to scheme these guys open, how to use the play action. And I’ll tell you, I’m with you—I really like this offensive line.” Let’s be real; that’s the game-changer.
As of now, if Kotelnicki can maximize his system and the O-line holds strong, Penn State’s offense might just find a way to overcome its weaknesses and stay in the playoff hunt. But here’s the real problem—Penn State’s quarterback depth is razor thin. And if anything happens to Drew Allar, the Nittany Lions could be in serious trouble. Right now, James Franklin’s woes aren’t ending anytime soon—his CFP dreams are looking pretty shaky.
James Franklin’s quarterback room lacks depth
Penn State’s QB room took a major hit with Beau Pribula’s departure to Missouri. Yes, a true gem from the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he was once seen as Franklin’s future under center. Right now, with Ethan Grunkemeyer and Bekkem Kritza waiting in the wings, it all comes down to Drew Allar to keep this offense steady. But is that enough? An insider, Zack Seyko, isn’t convinced, and he put it bluntly, saying, “Things you need to know about this quarterback room heading into the spring football season are just unproven.” And you know, in a conference as brutal as the B1G, “unproven” could spell disaster.
FILE – Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to pass against Ohio during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in State College, Pa. Penn State opens their season at home against West Virginia on Sept. 2. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)
Last season, Pribula went 26-of-35, while Allar carried the load with 262 completions on 394 attempts. But rookie Grunkemeyer? Just 1-of-2 for 9 yards. So with Pribula gone, Allar as QB1, Grunkemeyer as QB2, and Kritza as QB3, that QB room’s definitely looking thin. And for now, it’s clear—Franklin will lean on Allar for 95% of the snaps this fall. And here’s the problem: he needs a rock-solid backup. Hope you remember Allar’s injury-plagued absence against Wisconsin, and that time Pribula stepped up, leading to a 28-13 win. But now, it seems the QB depth is insufficient.
While Franklin’s challenges are far from over, Allar’s decision-making is now under the spotlight after a tough loss to Notre Dame. We know that while his talent is undeniable, his struggles in high-pressure moments are a growing concern. Allar threw a rare interception, giving Notre Dame the pigskin with the Orange Bowl tied at 24 with 33 seconds remaining. That cost PSU big in the semis, and Josh Pate’s definitely pointing fingers. He didn’t hold back, saying, “A quarterback has a disproportionately higher contributing factor to winning or losing a game.”
Although it’s not right to pin an entire loss on one player, Allar’s costly mistakes made an undeniable impact. Not only did he throw a bad interception late in the game, but he also made a terrible lateral pass that went out of bounds. Hopefully, Franklin and Allar can learn from the past and get PSU back on track.
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