James Franklin’s Nittany Lions are entering this season with the sort of weird swagger that they achieved by bringing back 14 starters, nearly missing a national title, and recalling their coach’s full “midseason form’ and ‘finger-wagging’ at taunting fans during the spring game, to boot. The stakes? Nothing short of a national championship bid. Franklin’s got the schedule, the roster, and—let’s be real—the pressure of a fanbase fed up with “next year” and “almost.” Drew Allar, the quarterback with 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, and a completion rate that made Penn State fans think he was the chosen one.
Now, let’s discuss Lawnboyz and Allar’s cohorts in crime, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. These guys didn’t merely rush for 1,000 yards apiece—they broke the record as the first Penn State pair of all time to accomplish it in the same year, and they’re both returning for more. Singleton is so good that he graced the front of EA Sports College Football 26, and Allar’s Instagram shout-out was essentially, “Makes sense” The tandem of Penn State’s running back duo just appeared on NBC Sports, making a vow with host Mike Robinson as a witness on May 29th.
When Mike asked them why they returned for another year, both players gave the same response, but each expressed it in a slightly different way. Allen goes first. “I said I want to win a national championship, assist the team in winning, and you know that is what I want to do. So I feel like this is the year to accomplish it. So that’s what led me to return.” The man means business. More than 1,100 yards rushing, double-digit scores, and a highlight reel that forced opposing defensive coordinators to look for an early-out clause.
Remember that Michigan game? Allen was trucking tackles like they owed him money, and whenever Penn State needed something to get that spark, he provided it. Third and short? No issue, just lower the shoulder and pull two Wolverines for a first down. And don’t forget that unfortunate Michigan cornerback who attempted to arm-tackle him—bad life decision, pal.
After ‘bro’ was finished, Nick cleared his stance. “Kind of what Fat Man was saying. Making your legacy, leaving your legacy, going to the league and just competing for a national championship. I came here to win a national championship. I like how it ended last year, and that just gives me motivation. So I’m just ready.”
Singleton and Allen are the lightning and thunder of Happy Valley, and Singleton’s all that talk about legacy because let’s be honest, he’s halfway to the Penn State record books already. Last year, Singleton accumulated more than 1,099 yards, averaging a neat 6.4 yards per carry, and scoring touchdowns like he was buying Pokémon cards.
But why’s he so driven? Penn State was a top-five program, visions of a playoff push dancing in all our heads, and then—bam!—the Orange Bowl collapse. The offense stalled, the passing attack vanished quicker than your Wi-Fi on finals week, and Singleton sat idly by as the season wasted away in a haze of what-ifs. It wasn’t merely a loss; it was the sort of heartbreak that makes you want to sprint extra in January.
Letting Beau Pribula chase his own spotlight
Drew Allar is the Happy Valley dude—he’s got the arm, the flash, and the ‘future NFL starter’ written literally on his forehead. Beau Pribula? He’s the gadget person, the Swiss Army knife, the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ quarterback who did bail Penn State’s bacon out last year when Allar went down at Wisconsin. The man showed up, went 11-for-13, orchestrated a comeback, and had everyone questioning whether or not there was still a bit of Trace McSorley magic in the building. As long as Allar is around, Pribula’s ceiling is essentially ‘big league backup in the Big Ten.’ And Franklin, to his credit, didn’t attempt to charm him into staying just to be on the sidelines and run now and then a wildcat.
“James Franklin in that process not only let Beau Pribula transfer, especially in the middle of a playoff run ahead of a playoff run he also encouraged him to,” as per Zach Seyko on Locked on Nittany Lions. And so Pribula entered the portal, went to Missouri, and likely received a nice NIL stipend for his efforts.
Now, most coaches all speak big about being “player-first,” but when it comes down to it, they’d rather stash talent like a squirrel stashing acorns. Franklin? He walked the walk. He released Pribula—even if it made Penn State a bit bare at QB2—because it was best for the player. It’s almost selfless? In college football? Who knew?!
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