The landscape of college football has completely changed over the past few years, from the addition of the transfer portal and NIL to the expansion of the college football playoff and power two conferences. While Penn State Football was not able to crack the top four in the four-team playoff era, there may not be another team that benefits more from the expansion of the college football playoff to 12 teams.

The expansion happens at an ideal time as well, as the core of Penn State’s roster has hit pivotal junior status and will all have NFL draft decisions after the 2024 season.

Here are a few reasons why 2024 could be a turning point for Penn State good or bad for the future:

NFL draft decisions after 2024 season

As mentioned above, many of Penn State’s core players on the 2024 roster all carry junior status, meaning each will have the option to leave Happy Valley and forgo their senior seasons to enter the 2025 NFL draft. Here are a few players who will have decisions to make after the upcoming season:

Quarterback Drew Allar

It seems like just yesterday five-star prospect Drew Allar walked onto campus as an early enrollee with the eyes of Penn State Football fans filled with hope for the future.

After sitting behind Sean Clifford for a year, Allar put up fantastic numbers in 2023 (tied for the lead in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns, second in the nation in touchdown to interception ratio) but failed to get Penn State Football over the Ohio State, Michigan hump and into the playoff conversation.

With the playoff expanding in 2024 and Michigan not on the schedule, Allar has the opportunity to lead Penn State to the Nittany Lions‘ first playoff birth. If Allar can take a step forward under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, his draft stock should soar. At 6-foot-5 inches, 240 pounds with a ridiculously strong arm, Allar has the potential to be the bell of the ball in either the 2025 or 2026 draft class with a major decision to make after next season if all goes right.

Running back Nick Singleton

Another former five-star prospect for this list that drew plenty of attention early on in his Penn State career, Nick Singleton surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in his true freshman season as part of a two-headed monster backfield for Penn State with Kaytron Allen.

After a slightly slower start to the 2023 season, Singleton regained form by the end of the season to set up even more hype ahead of year three on campus.

In two seasons, Singleton has accumulated 2,206 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns.  If Singleton can produce in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense in 2024, he will have plenty of NFL draft interest and a tough decision to make at the end of the season.

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Running back Kaytron Allen

The other side of Penn State’s two-headed monster backfield, Allen has been Penn State’s steady hand at running back, averaging 5.2 yards per carry since he stepped on campus in 2022.

In two seasons with the Nittany Lions, Allen has accumulated 2,038 yards and 18 touchdowns while sharing the workload with Singleton. Like Singleton, Allen’s production will garner plenty of attention from NFL scouts after the 2024 season and he will have a decision to make on whether to return in 2025.

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton

It seems forward to talk about Dani Dennis-Sutton leaving early for the 2025 NFL draft after having less than half of a season of starting experience at Penn State, however, Dennis-Sutton is in the same boat that Chop Robinson was heading into 2023.

Robinson had played the role of Penn State’s third defensive lineman in 2022 and stepped into a starting role in 2023 only to see his NFL draft stock soar as he is projected to be a first round pick next month.

Dennis-Sutton could be on a similar path as he has all of the tools to be a top NFL draft prospect after the 2024 season. With 6.5 sacks over 26 games with Penn State, Dennis-Sutton has shown flashes of why he was considered a five-star prospect by 247Sports out of high school. Against Indiana in 2023, Dennis-Sutton effectively ended the game with a strip sack of Brendan Sorsby that resulted in a Penn State safety to put the game away.

If Dennis-Sutton has a productive year in Tom Allen’s defense in 2024 as a focal point on the defensive line, he will have plenty of attention heading into the 2025 NFL draft.

Defensive end Abdul Carter

Its odd writing out “defensive end” Abdul Carter after Carter spent two seasons as one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten, including a freshman campaign that saw him honored as a freshman All-American.

Now solely focusing his efforts on the defensive line, Carter brings one of the best pass rush win rates (23 percent in 2023) with him to the opposite side of Dennis-Sutton. With his versatility and incredible athleticism, Carter should be a desired prospect after the 2024 season.

Penn State Football: Momentum for the future

With five of Penn State’s key players having NFL draft decisions coming up after the 2024 season, Penn State has to capitalize on the talent on the roster before they are all gone.

There are no guarantees with the transfer portal and NFL draft that Penn State’s roster will be as competitive in 2025 as it is in 2024. The Nittany Lions must build positive momentum this season to help Penn State on the recruiting trail, in the transfer portal, and on the NIL front from donations stemming from success.

If Penn State Football can make the playoff in 2024 Franklin and staff can build the momentum to build another top recruiting class and bring in transfers wanting to play on a successful team. If Penn State Football misses the playoff next season, it risks getting left behind as players opt for the NFL draft and the transfer portal.

The 2024 season is primed for Penn State to finally take the step forward that has been expected since 2017 and earn the Nittany Lions’ first playoff birth or continue to fail to get over the hump into the elite tier of college football teams.

When the dust settles, the team on the field and the momentum behind the program could take a massive shift, in a good or bad direction, in 2025 so 2024 is critical for the future of Penn State football.

MORE: Penn State’s Five Most Important Players to Making College Football Playoff

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