James Franklin didn’t arrive at Big Ten Media Days to celebrate predictions or entertain hype. With Penn State entering the 2025 season under a national spotlight, the 12th-year head coach used his time at the podium to reset the conversation. Last Word on College Football was on-site for Franklin’s remarks, which centered not on rankings, but on depth, leadership, and the grind ahead. The message? Rankings don’t win championships. Work does.
High Expectations Met With Grounded Message
Expectations for Penn State in 2025 are as high as they’ve been in decades. With most major outlets placing the Nittany Lions at or near the top of preseason rankings, Franklin took the podium at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas with one clear message: rankings don’t matter. The work does. “It’s a great conversation, but who really cares about preseason rankings? They mean nothing,” Franklin said. “The only rankings that matter are the ones that happen at the end of the season. And that’s what we’re concerned about. The only way we’ll do that is by handling our business today.”
Franklin acknowledged the outside attention but reminded reporters that Penn State holds itself to a high standard regardless. “There’s a lot of people that are excited on a national level talking about us,” he said. “The reality is, when it comes to the Lasch Football Building or when it comes to local, these are always the expectations at Penn State, and it hasn’t changed internally in our program.” The message was clear: focus on today, not the headlines.
Franklin: “Best Personnel We’ve Had”
Entering his 12th season, Franklin said this year’s group might be the most complete of his tenure. “This is the best combined personnel that I think we’ve had at Penn State,” he said. “From a depth, from a talent standpoint, and from an experience standpoint.” He credited the offseason additions of veteran coaches Jim Knowles and Stan Drayton as impactful, and noted that 19 former Penn State lettermen now serve in various roles on staff. The coach also pointed to development as a cornerstone of the program’s identity. “We expect to have anywhere between 10 and 12 guys drafted this year,” he said. “We’ve averaged over five draft picks per year in my 12 years at Penn State, a stat that we’re very, very proud of.”
Transfer Portal Used for Targeted Needs
While Penn State doesn’t rely heavily on the portal, Franklin explained that it remains a useful tool. “We added eight guys from the portal this year,” he said. “We’re not a big portal team. We’ll go out and make some moves and make some adjustments to fill maybe a gap that we have in our program.”
He compared it to the old JUCO model, a method for filling specific gaps, not rebuilding the roster. “We embrace that. But we will go out and make moves in the portal where we need to,” he added.
Tight End Room Reloads, Not Rebuilds
Replacing tight end Tyler Warren won’t fall on one player. Instead, Franklin pointed to several names ready to step into larger roles. “Tyler was a special player, right? It’s interesting because two years ago, I sat in a meeting room with our tight ends. Theo Johnson decides to declare, ends up being a second-round draft choice. Tyler comes back and obviously has an unbelievably memorable season,” he said.
This year, the rotation will be led by Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds, with Andrew Rappleyea also expected to contribute. “Our tight end room has been as good as anybody in the country the last five years,” Franklin said.
Running Backs Return to Make History
Penn State received a major boost when both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen opted to return. “I thought one of those guys would decide to declare for the NFL, and the other one would come back. They both decided to come back,” Franklin said.
The duo has been splitting carries for two seasons, yet both are now positioned to climb into the top two all-time in rushing yards in school history. “It’s amazing to me that both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have a chance to be the all-time leading rushers in Penn State history, 1 and 2,” Franklin said. “And they’ve been sharing carries their entire career.”
Receiver Room Overhauled via Portal
Wide receiver was a key point of offseason emphasis. Franklin acted decisively in the portal. “We went out into the transfer portal and brought in three really productive players,” he said. “Trebor Pena from Syracuse, who was a captain; Kyron Hudson from USC, who was a captain; and then Devonte Ross, who made a bunch of big plays and had a ton of production at Troy.” Each player brings experience and leadership, helping stabilize a group that lacked consistency last fall. “In a lot of ways, I think it makes us more difficult to defend when there’s more guys on the field that we think can impact the game at any moment,” Franklin said.
Big Games Await, Questions Linger
The schedule won’t offer much margin for error. The Lions open the season against Nevada, where oddsmakers installed them as 44.5-point favorites, one of the largest lines in school history. But the real tests arrive in conference play. Oregon visits Beaver Stadium for a White Out on Sept. 27. On Nov. 1, Penn State travels to Ohio State. That last one carries extra weight. Franklin is 1-10 against the Buckeyes and has dropped three straight to Michigan. His record against top-five opponents is 1-15 at Penn State and 1-18, including his time at Vanderbilt.
High Stakes, But Franklin Isn’t Flinching
Franklin didn’t dodge those questions. He leaned into them. “We were a game away from playing for the National Championship, and you could actually make the argument a drive away,” he said. “But it didn’t feel that way, right? Because the expectations at Penn State are really high.” He continued, “We embrace that. I came to Penn State understanding that and knowing that. Our players did as well.”
That mindset is echoed across the program. The staff believes this team is capable of breaking through and finally converting potential into titles. “The only way we’ll do that is by handling our business today.”
Main Image: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
