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NittanyCentral

NittanyCentral delivers expert analysis from veteran reporters and timely updates on Penn State sports, with in-depth coverage of Nittany Lions Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and more.

Penn State Football on Senior Bowl Director’s Radar: ‘Arrow up’

Nick Singleton, Penn State Football

 

The 2024 season has yet to begin, but that does not mean it is too early for Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy to be keeping an eye on Penn State Football’s offensive stars ahead of what could be the last year of college ball for many playmakers.

On Thursday, Nagy tweeted an early look at five of Penn State’s offensive playmakers ahead of the 2024 season and reasons why the Senior Bowl is keeping a close eye on this Penn State cohort.

For the first time in history after the 2023 season, the Senior Bowl opened its doors to juniors, with Penn State’s Kalen King the first junior to accept an invite to the Senior Bowl.

Ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, Nagy designated three Penn State juniors that the Senior Bowl already has their eyes on this season. Here is a breakdown of the five players Nagy put on his early list to watch:

Quarterback Drew Allar

Penn State Football, Drew Allar
Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Former five-star quarterback Drew Allar returns for his second season starting for the Nittany Lions.

After leading the Big Ten in touchdowns and ranking second in the nation in touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio, there is still plenty to prove for the rising junior ahead of next year’s NFL draft, should he choose to forgo his final year of eligibility.

Nagy posted Thursday that “if [the Senior Bowl] were to assign an ‘arrow up’ designation to a QB in this class, it would be [Drew Allar].” Nagy continued that the Senior Bowl staff has already set up multiple live game views on its schedule to check out the “physically talented” Allar and the Nittany Lions this fall.


Running Backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen

Penn State Football
Nicholas Singleton #10 of the Penn State Nittany Lions. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Nagy agrees with Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider that Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are one of the most slept-on running back tandems in college football this season.

Nagy stated that the Senior Bowl is looking forward to “seeing this pair run against lighter boxes this year (with more emphasis on vertical passing game).” New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was brought in to “help create more explosive plays” and his scheme could do wonders for the on-field production for these two rising junior running backs.

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Wide Receiver Julian Fleming

Julian Fleming, Penn State Football, Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Julian Fleming (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports)

After transferring from Ohio State to Penn State this offseason, Julian Fleming is once again on the radar for the Senior Bowl. Nagy posted that the former five-star receiver was “in the mix for Senior Bowl invite last year despite limited production.” Now in a new offense looking for wide receivers to step up, Fleming will look to increase his production in 2024 to earn an invite and rise up draft boards.

Nagy noted that “NFL teams [the Senior Bowl] spoke with during our grade-sharing process had consistent late-round draftable grades on Fleming’s talent.”


Tight End Tyler Warren

Penn State Football
Penn State Nittany Lions Tight End Tyler Warren (44) makes a catch for a touchdown. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Along with now New York Giants’ tight end Theo Johnson, Nagy announced that Tyler Warren received a Senior Bowl invite last season before ultimately opting to come back to Penn State for one more season.

Nagy shared that viewers of HBO’s Hard Knocks saw how the Senior Bowl benefitted Theo Johnson last year ahead of the 2024 NFL draft and knows that it would do the same for Tyler Warren this year ahead of next year’s draft.

If Penn State’s offense can take a step forward and be more explosive under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in 2024, Penn State may be looking to replace most of its offensive talent heading into 2025.

As the NFL draft decisions approach, the Senior Bowl will be keeping a close eye on many Nittany Lions ahead of what could be a fantastic class of Nittany Lions once again heading to the NFL.

MORE: ESPN Has High Expectations for Two Penn State Stars

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Penn State Football on Senior Bowl Director’s Radar: ‘Arrow up’
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