Penn State Football Needs These 5 Key Players to Step Up vs. Oregon
No. 3 Penn State Football is set to host the No. 6 Oregon Ducks in the 2025 Whiteout this Saturday. While the Nittany Lions are currently a three-point favorite in the matchup, Saturday’s game will be the first real test for either team this season.
In the James Franklin era, Penn State has struggled to win the “big game,” with Franklin’s overall record of just 4-20 against top 10 teams.
A win Saturday could go a long way for the Nittany Lions to shake off the “big game” stigma and earn respect nationally early in the 2025 season.
A win would also take a lot of pressure off of Penn State’s November 1 matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, a place that Penn State has not won since 2011.
If the Nittany Lions are to win against the Ducks this weekend, Penn State will need these five key players to step up to deliver a potentially season-defining win.
5 Players Penn State Football Needs to Step Up vs. Oregon
Drew Allar
It’s no surprise that Penn State’s fourth-year senior signal caller is at the top of this list.
Penn State’s offense stops and goes with Drew Allar, who has been inconsistent to start the year.
The former five-star quarterback out of Ohio has all of the tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but has yet to put it all together consistently on the field for the Nittany Lions.
If the Nittany Lions are to stay unbeaten after Saturday’s contest, it is likely due to Allar’s play leading the offense against a formidable Oregon defense.
In last year’s Big Ten Championship game, Allar played one of his best games of the season, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns. However, two costly interceptions by Allar, including one on the final Penn State drive, led to the Nittany Lions falling just short of the win.
Allar will need to step up and play his best game of the season Saturday for Penn State’s offense to be successful against the Oregon Ducks.
Nick Singleton
While backfield mate Kaytron Allen has started the season red hot, senior running back Nick Singleton has taken time to get back into form to start the 2025 season.
Singleton is averaging only 4.4 yards per carry in three games so far in 2025, down two yards per carry from his stellar 2024 season average.
While Singleton has found the endzone five times so far in 2025, Penn State will need Singleton to be far more effective on the ground overall against Oregon’s defense Saturday.
If Singleton is able to regain his form from the 2024 postseason, Penn State’s offense could thrive Saturday with a true two-headed backfield.
Allar could also use an effective Singleton in the passing game, where Singleton thrived in 2024 as the safety valve. If Singleton does not have early success against Oregon, Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and running backs coach Stan Drayton may be forced into a tough decision to primarily use Kaytron Allen in the running game.
Dani Dennis-Sutton
Dani Dennis-Sutton posted in March 2022 that he would be the “best defensive end in CFB.”
Three games into the 2025 season, Dennis-Sutton is showing that his prediction could absolutely come true. Through three games, despite a heavy rotation of younger players giving Dennis-Sutton plenty of time on the sideline, Dennis-Sutton has accumulated nine tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended.
Franklin announced during his press conference Monday that Penn State will lean more heavily on Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant, and Zuriah Fisher on Saturday against Oregon, noting that the time to build younger depth is not against Oregon.
This should give the 6-foot-5 and 265-pound Dennis-Sutton plenty of opportunity to show that he is one of the best, if not the best, defensive ends in college football.
In order for Penn State’s defense to be successful against Oregon, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will need Dennis-Sutton and Fisher to get pressure on Dante Moore to disrupt the Oregon passing attack.
If Dennis-Sutton is able to continue his level of play that we have seen so far in 2025, he could be a game wrecker for the Penn State defense Saturday.
BUY PENN STATE VS. OREGON TICKETS
Zakee Wheatley
Zakee Wheatley spent a few seasons as Penn State’s offseason turnover king before breaking into the starting lineup last season.
Penn State could use Wheatley’s knack for finding the football Saturday to potentially make a game-changing turnover against the Oregon Ducks.
With Oregon’s ability to spread the ball all over the field in the passing game, Wheatley and the Penn State safeties will have a key role in slowing down the Oregon offense.
AJ Harris
Penn State cornerback AJ Harris has been targeted in coverage only once so far in 2025.
That should change Saturday as Oregon’s passing offense looks to attack Penn State’s defense with many weapons in the passing game. AJ Harris could have the tallest task of any Penn State defender Saturday covering Oregon’s superstar freshman Dakorien Moore.
Just three games into his college career, Moore is showing that he can be a star with 12 receptions, 207 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. Harris will be tasked with keeping Moore in check with his deep play ability for the Ducks.
The Nittany Lions will need Harris to step up and show why he was a five-star talent out of high school and why he was ranked as one of the best cornerbacks in the nation coming into the 2025 season.
In the biggest games of the season, Penn State will need its biggest stars to step up. Each of these five players could play a vital role in helping the Nittany Lions break the narrative that they can’t get over the hump in a big game.
If the Nittany Lions do stay undefeated Saturday with a win over Oregon, the play of these five players is probably a heavy contributing factor.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
James Franklin Details Penn State’s Whiteout Strategy, Injury Status Before Oregon Clash
James Franklin’s Big Challenge for Penn State’s Offense Ahead of Big Clash vs. Oregon
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- Penn State Football Needs These 5 Key Players to Step Up vs. Oregon - September 24, 2025
- James Franklin Details Penn State’s Whiteout Strategy, Injury Status Before Oregon Clash - September 23, 2025