College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

Penn State moves on to life after Saquon Barkley this season. A do-everything sensation for the Nittany Lions over the past few years, Barkley now gets to ply his trade for the New York Giants. That leaves James Franklin‘s team searching for the next great running back in Happy Valley. Meanwhile, they will likely turn toward their passing game even more in 2018 as Ricky Rahne takes over for Joe Moorhead at offensive coordinator.

Trace McSorley is back for Penn State at quarterback, and he gets back targets such as DeAndre Thompkins and Juwan Johnson. DaeSean Hamilton and tight end Mike Gesicki will be missed, but there is plenty of receiving talent available and ready to step up. On the other hand, nobody can really replace everything that Barkley brought to the table. Miles Sanders and Mark Allen will likely split carries this year as they try their best to approximate Barkley’s all-around output.

While the offense is in relatively good shape, Penn State’s defense alone comes nowhere near the top 10. Only three of last year’s defensive starters are back in 2018. The entire secondary has turned over, both defensive tackles from last season have moved on, and there are glaring holes all around. If the Nittany Lions plummet down the AP Top 25 this year, it will be because their defense never came together.