What to know about Clemson’s Pinstripe Bowl Opponent: Penn State

Here’s some key info on the Nittany Lions ahead of the game in Yankee Stadium

The Clemson Tigers are up against an opponent in a similar position | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Before the 2025 college football season kicked off, both Clemson and Penn State had national championship aspirations. The Tigers and Nittany Lions assumed the No. 2 and No. 4 positions in the preseason AP Poll. 

Three months later, those championship dreams seem as far away as the warmer weather that came with them.

Admittedly, as someone who lived near Penn State for parts of eight years and has followed the team since, I feel uniquely qualified to detail the program. Let’s take a look at what Clemson fans should know before the December 27 matchup.

Offense

The engine of the Penn State offense is the running game. After the season-ending ankle injury to quarterback Drew Allar, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has leaned into tailbacks Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. Although Singleton and left guard Vega Ioane have both opted out of the game, PSU still profiles as a ground-and-pound group.

In the passing game, redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has performed admirably, though he hasn’t been asked to do much heavy lifting. In the six games since Grunkemeyer relieved the injured Allar, Penn State has averaged just 22.1 pass attempts per game. Transfer wide receiver Trebor Pena is the Nittany Lions’ top receiving threat, catching at least three passes in each game Grunkemeyer has started.

Defense

Speaking of opt-outs, the Nittany Lion defense will be without two key members against Clemson. Interior defensive lineman Zane Durant and free safety Zakee Wheatley are NFL-bound and will be major losses for Penn State. The undersized Durant profiled as one of PSU’s top run defenders, while Wheatley was a top-notch safety who could do a little bit of everything. 

Of the four confirmed missing starters, Wheatley’s loss will be felt the most. Without the leader of the secondary, it will be interesting to see how Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik attacks the Nittany Lions’ defensive backs.

Coaching

Like many other programs during bowl season in the modern era of college football, Penn State is currently in coaching flux. After James Franklin’s firing on October 12, the Nittany Lions promoted longtime cornerbacks coach and former letterman receiver, Terry Smith, to the interim head coach position. After losses to Iowa, Ohio State, and Indiana, Penn State needed to win the final three games of the regular season to reach bowl eligibility. Similar to Clemson, PSU rattled off a win streak, defeating Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers to earn six wins.

Former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was hired this past week, but Penn State faces coaching turnover at several positions. Smith will be retained as a top assistant on Campbell’s staff, though several ISU coaches will be brought to PSU. Franklin has already poached multiple members of Penn State’s staff to join him at Virginia Tech.

PSU incumbent offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will be coaching in the Pinstripe Bowl, while defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will not. Knowles accepted the same position at Tennessee earlier this past week.