Three Penn State stars land in top five of Big Ten’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year voting

Penn State football enters Big Ten Media Days as the toast of the conference, favored to finish atop the league for the first time in the Cleveland.com poll’s 15-year history. A major reason why the Nittany Lions enter the season as the conference’s frontrunners is the stable of veteran talent returning in the backfield for 2025.

That talent was reflected accordingly on Monday, with Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen finishing in the top five of Cleveland.com’s Offensive Player of the Year voting.

While top honors went to Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who received a whopping 21 of 25 first-place votes, the three Nittany Lions were the most from any team to make the poll.

Recommended

Penn State tops Ohio State for No. 1 in Big Ten preseason poll

How have the Nittany Lions’ spring transfers transitioned into the Penn State program?

Allar was the only other player to receive first-place votes. The senior is arguably the most veteran passer in the country, now only the second FBS quarterback since 1956 to have over 800 career passing attempts, more than 50 passing touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions.

Meanwhile, Singleton and Allen are each coming off their best years in the Blue and White. Allen led the program in rushing last fall with his first 1,000-plus yard season as a Nittany Lion. Singleton, who leads all returning FBS players in rushing yards, all-purpose yards, and touchdowns, is 1,021 yards away from becoming Penn State’s all-time leading rusher.

Festivities at Big Ten Media Days kick off in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning. Allar, Nick Dawkins, and Zakee Wheatley will join James Franklin at Mandalay Bay on Wednesday.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube — and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for the latest breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on social media.