Adam Breneman on Penn State's 2025 Season: 'They Are Built for This Moment'

Adam Breneman, a rising star in college football media, said Penn State has the tools to win a national championship.

Penn State football coach James Franklin reacts to play in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Add Adam Breneman to the chorus of college football analysts who believe Penn State is a national-championship contender this season. The former Penn State tight end, now a rising voice in college football media, said Penn State "has everything it takes" to win the College Footall Playoff title.

"Penn State has been investing at the highest level, I think as well as anyone in the country," Breneman said in a recent interview. "You think about keeping [quarterback] Drew Allar, keeping [running back] Nicholas Singleton, keeping [running back Kaytron Allen] and then getting the receivers that they got from the portal.

"You think about the defense and having probably the best secondary in the country, and then you get Jim Knowles, the best coordinator in America who just won a national championship. To keep [offensive coordinator] Andy Kotelnicki another year and keep him away from a head coaching job. I mean, it is about as 'all-in' as you can imagine in college football."

Breneman, who was part of the 2014-15 Penn State teams coached by James Franklin, has had a unique view of the Nittany Lions over the past few years. Breneman is a co-founder of The College Sports Company, which helps athletic departments and NIL collectives build media brands and content around their teams and athletes. He is involved with State Media, the outlet that produces content regarding Penn State athletics.

On his podcast, "Next Up With Adam Breneman," the former Nittany Lion has interviewed Franklin several times, along with players and assistant coaches. During those interviews, Breneman has seen a program building toward another playoff run.

"The chips are all on the table right now," Breneman said, "and I think it's time to go get it done. And if there's one guy that's great at keeping the team focused and not thinking too much about the future, it's coach Franklin. They are built for this moment, and I'm excited to see it play out. And you can look at last season. I mean, you're a play away from the national-championship game with some real pieces missing on that offense and on the team. Now they have some big additions, and getting Jim Knowles has been huge."

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Breneman recently sat down to interview Franklin at the Lasch Football Building. He found a coach who has a long memory in addition to an eye on the future.

"One of the fun things we talked about is the time when he got the Penn State, when he was still dealing with sanctions," Breneman said. "He alluded to how he didn’t know what he was walking into. He didn't quite get the full story during the interview process of what was going on as they were selling him the job. And I thought he was pretty open about that.

"We talked about some of the adversity. He talked about 2016 and the crowd chanting, 'fire Franklin' as he walked off the field [at halftime of the Minnesota game]. And then they turn around and win the Big 10 Championship. I thought was really cool. I asked him in my last interview, 'Do you ever think that the fans will fully appreciate what you've done here in your 10 years?' And he said, 'No, but no one gives a s---.' I think it was his exact quote. So I thought that was a pretty neat answer."

Check out Breneman's latest interview with Franklin via the Next Up With Adam Breneman podcast.

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