At receiver, new additions and rising underclassmen will be under the spotlight. Kyron Hudson<\/a> holds the X spot, Trebor Pe\u00f1a<\/a> works from the slot, and Devonte Ross<\/a> and Liam Clifford<\/a> continue to battle for the Z role. Freshmen Koby Howard<\/a> and Tyseer Denmark<\/a> sit close behind on the two-deep. The first three weeks will reveal who can be counted on consistently before Oregon comes to town in Week 5.<\/p>\n Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles<\/a> leans on an experienced core with new wrinkles. Converted corner Antoine Belgrave-Shorter<\/a> claimed the starting strong safety spot after leading camp in turnovers. At nickel, Zion Tracy<\/a>, Kenneth Woseley Jr., and Kolin Dinkins all rotate, with the first games critical for earning long-term snaps.<\/p>\n Penn State enters Week 1 with a defensive line that looks like a strength. Zane Durant<\/a> anchors the interior after a breakout 2024 and gives the Nittany Lions a proven disruptor in the middle. On the edge, Dani Dennis-Sutton<\/a> leads the group while Zuriah Fisher continues his recovery and freshmen Chaz Coleman and Yvan Kemajou prepare to contribute early. James Franklin said in his Nevada press conference that Penn State may mix in a 4-3 package against heavier run looks. The Lions may not need that front against Nevada, but using it would allow the staff to test personnel and put alignments on film for review. At linebacker, Amare Campbell<\/a> and Dom DeLuca<\/a> both carry headset responsibility when they are on the field separately, but only one player can wear it at a time. If they line up together, Campbell handles the green dot. Freak athlete Tony Rojas<\/a> lines up at will in those 4-3 looks, while DeLuca\u2019s ability to slide between mike and sam gives Penn State more flexibility with its front seven.<\/p>\n Two true freshmen are already cleared to contribute immediately. Edge rusher Chaz Coleman and cornerback Daryus Dixson impressed enough in camp to be \u201cgreen lit\u201d for full seasons. Coleman should see reps right away with Fisher easing back from injury. Dixson enters a crowded cornerback room but has shown the polish needed to earn early opportunities.<\/p>\n Penn State will use the opener to get young players meaningful snaps across the board. The coaching staff wants to see how underclassmen respond in live action, particularly in the secondary and along the offensive line. These games matter for building the depth that Franklin insists will be critical when the schedule tightens.<\/p>\n Nevada\u2019s roster underwent major turnover with more than 50 new players. Quarterback Chubba Purdy<\/a>, brother of San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy, finally enters a season opener fully healthy. Film from his time at Nebraska and his limited snaps at Nevada last season shows a quarterback with mobility that creates challenges, but also one whose inconsistent reads and processing against coverage leave opportunities for Penn State\u2019s defense to bait him into mistakes.<\/p>\n Running back Herschel Turner<\/a> emerged late in camp as the lead option, with Texas transfer Ky Woods<\/a> in the rotation. At receiver, injuries slowed development, but Marcus Bellon<\/a> and Texas Tech transfer Jordan Brown<\/a> headline the group. The offensive line adds several new faces, and their ability to handle Penn State\u2019s pass rush will dictate how long Nevada can stay competitive.<\/p>\n Defensively, Nevada must improve on last year\u2019s struggles. The Wolf Pack allowed nearly 400 yards per game in 2024 and produced little pressure. Choate added six new defensive backs and emphasized rotation along the line and linebackers to keep players fresh. Still, Penn State\u2019s talent edge will be difficult to match.<\/p>\n Choate understands the challenge ahead. In his pregame press conference for Penn State week, he praised the Nittany Lions\u2019 talent, saying they resemble \u201cnational championship-caliber programs.\u201d He emphasized to his team that competing together is their only chance to handle PSU\u2019s size and speed. For Nevada, this game is more about growth than results.\u00a0 “Compete and improve from the first quarter to the fourth quarter”, Choate said. “We want to go out and be as competitive as we can, and our last rep in that game has to be better than the first rep we took. That’s kind of what it’s about.”<\/p>\n Travel adds another layer. The Wolf Pack will fly into State College\u2019s small airport, requiring refueling en route. It is another obstacle in a week already stacked against them. Still, Choate said he views the opportunity as a chance to demand focus from his team and set a standard for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n For Penn State, the goal is clear. Stay healthy, work through depth questions, and get young players meaningful reps. The Nittany Lions want to solidify their receiver rotation, polish communication in the secondary, and continue building along the offensive line.<\/p>\n Nevada enters as a major underdog, but the Wolf Pack should compete with energy and test PSU with Purdy\u2019s legs. Even so, Penn State\u2019s depth, experience, and talent across every position should carry the day comfortably. Week 1 is about preparation for bigger challenges ahead, and Beaver Stadium expects nothing less than a sharp opening performance.<\/p>\n Main Photo: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Penn State vs Nevada preview sets the stage for the Nittany Lions\u2019 2025 season opener at Beaver Stadium\u00a0 Expectations are higher than ever. The Nittany Lions return depth, experience, and playmakers on both sides of the ball. The opener against Nevada provides a chance to test new pieces, evaluate young talent, and stay healthy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5544,"featured_media":71809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,17,35610],"tags":[3808,35429,35430,32700,35486,35487,9346,309,35332,35488],"class_list":["post-76785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-featured","category-news","category-penn-state-nittany-lions","tag-brock-purdy","tag-chaz-coleman","tag-daryus-dixson","tag-jeff-choate","tag-kenneth-woseley-jr","tag-kolin-dinkins","tag-nevada-wolf-pack","tag-penn-state-nittany-lions","tag-yvan-kemajou","tag-zuriah-fisher"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5544"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76785"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76807,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76785\/revisions\/76807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Defensive Depth and Communication<\/h3>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/USATSI_25041470_168400536_lowres-1024x683.jpg\")
Special Teams Questions<\/h3>\n
Freshmen and Depth Development<\/h3>\n
Nevada\u2019s New Look<\/h3>\n
The Wolf Pack Challenge<\/h3>\n
Outlook for Week 1<\/h3>\n