Team captain explains championship mindset uniting Penn State locker room

Since the final whistle blew on January’s Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame, the focus for Penn State football has been simple: to win the 2025 national title. Not shying away from the difficult end to last season, the Nittany Lions have not minced words about the heights they believe the program can reach this fall.

“We all came back for a reason,” center and team captain Nick Dawkins recently told State Media of his decision to return for a sixth and final season. “We are all working for one goal, and that’s to win a national championship.”

Dawkins is just one of the notable Nittany Lions to return to Happy Valley for 2025. Penn State brings back one of the most dynamic backfields in college football, including quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Defensively, edge Dani Dennis-Sutton, interior lineman Zane Durant, and safety Zakee Wheatley look to take center stage under the new leadership of Jim Knowles.

Our guys have ONE common goal in mind and they are out to achieve it…🏆 pic.twitter.com/6TRCHQ84oN

— State Media (@StateMediaPSU) May 5, 2025

Penn State football comes in at the top of another post-spring top-25

Last week, FOX’s Joel Klatt was the first analyst in the national media to put his name to the early hype building around the Nittany Lions in 2025. The Big Noon host made headlines after naming Penn State as his No. 1 team coming out of the spring.

Now, Klatt has some company. On Thursday, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach also put Penn State football atop his post-spring top 25 rankings. In addition to the Nittany Lions’ returning veterans, Schlabach focused on the wave of transfer portal talent James Franklin has added this offseason.

“After finally turning the corner under coach James Franklin in 2024, the Nittany Lions look loaded for bear this coming season,” Schlabach wrote. “With Allar, Allen, and Singleton returning, Penn State should have one of the most balanced offenses in the FBS, especially if Allar takes the next step as a downfield passer. Adding [Trebor] Pena, [Devonte] Ross, and [Kyron] Hudson was critical; Penn State’s receivers didn’t have a reception in a 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in a CFP semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. Pena, a slot receiver, had 84 catches for 941 yards with nine scores in 2024.”

Penn State opens the 2025 season in 111 days on August 30 against Nevada.

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