Projecting Penn State Football’s Starting Offense As Camp Opens

Penn State football opens fall camp Wednesday, exactly one month from the Nittany Lions‘ opener against West Virginia.

Since we last saw the Nittany Lions in game action, Penn State has lost three starting offensive linemen to the NFL, two starting wide receivers (part-time starter in Dante Cephas’ case) to the transfer portal, and hired a new offensive coordinator to revamp the offense.

While fall camp battles will be aplenty for Penn State’s offense, here is an early projection of what Penn State’s starting offense will look like against West Virginia as camp opens.

Quarterback: Drew Allar

Drew Allar enters year 2 as Penn State’s starting quarterback, solidly entrenched in that role as the battle for QB2 rages behind him between Beau Pribula and freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer.

Allar has had plenty of critics after a first year that saw him struggle against OSU and Michigan, but lead the Big Ten in touchdown passes and rank second in the nation in touchdown-to-interception ratio.

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Running back: Nick Singleton AND Kaytron Allen

This is a bit of a cop-out, but Penn State has truly kept both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen as co-starters since they both burst onto the scene as true freshmen.

Singleton’s stats dropped a bit last year as the offense struggled under Mike Yurcich and both Singleton and Allen will hope for a revitalization of the running game under Andy Kotelnicki this fall.

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Wide Receiver: Trey Wallace, Liam Clifford, Julian Fleming

Wide receiver is a complete wild card this year after a tough 2023 season at the position.

With Dante Cephas and KeAndre Lambert-Smith no longer with the program, Penn State will look to figure out who will receive plenty of targets on offense this year in training camp.

While Kaden Saunders, Omari Evans, and newcomer Tyseer Denmark will all push these three all season and could earn a starting role later on, at this point I am going with a veteran trio of Trey Wallace, Liam Clifford, and Julian Fleming.

Fleming has been praised for his work ethic and leadership since transferring to Penn State this offseason.

Meanwhile, Trey Wallace has had WR1 buzz for years but hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If he is able to stay healthy, he could easily be Allar’s number-one weapon this fall. Liam Clifford may not be the most physically talented wide receiver on the roster, but his consistency and sure hands have earned him the nod as the third starter on this list for now.

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Tight end: Tyler Warren

Tyler Warren was a bit of a surprise to come back to Penn State for 2024 after a great campaign in 2023.

Warren tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions and could have held decent draft stock in this year’s NFL draft. However, now back for a fourth year in blue and white, Warren could be one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten and a favorite weapon for Drew Allar.

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Left Tackle: Drew Shelton

After the Peach Bowl, Shelton’s name could have been written in this spot almost in pen.

But after an offseason surgery held him out of spring practice, former five-star Jven Williams had the opportunity to catch up in the position battle with plenty of extra reps. Now healthy, I think Shelton will use his six games of starting experience over the last two seasons to beat out Williams for the starting position at left tackle in what will likely be a really enjoyable battle to watch between two great players.

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Left Guard: Vega Ioane

Vega Ioane could play a factor in the battle for center as well, but I expect him to start at left guard, where he started five games last season. JB Nelson could rotate with Ioane here this season as well.

Center: Nick Dawkins

This is one of the most intriguing battles on the offense for Penn State this fall. Redshirt senior Nick Dawkins will be facing tough competition from true freshman Cooper Cousins for the starting spot at center. Cousins may eventually earn the starting spot this fall, but I think Dawkins holds him off during camp to earn the nod against West Virginia to start the year. Either way that this battle works out, expect to see plenty of reps for Cousins as the year goes on.

Right Guard: Sal Wormley

Wormley is one of two returning starters on the offensive line this fall, starting all 13 games at right guard last season. Expect Wormley to continue as the starter at right guard this season, building upon his All Big Ten honorable mention last season.

Right Tackle: Anthony Donkoh

As with the other tackle position, right tackle will be an intriguing battle this month with guard-converted tackle Anthony Donkoh competing with former five-star Wisconsin transfer Nolan Rucci. While James Franklin has stated that Rucci has transitioned well to Penn State, I am projecting Donkoh to get the starting nod for week one. Expect this battle to continue throughout the fall as Rucci and Donkoh could rotate early in the season to both see plenty of reps.

NittanyCentral will continue to monitor these position battles throughout camp heading toward week one in Morgantown. Follow along and sign up for our FREE newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any Penn State football news for the 2024 season.

MORE: Penn State’s Offensive Players With Most to Gain During Training Camp

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