Penn State Football Week 1 Preview: Story Lines, Players to Watch, Predictions

Penn State coach James Franklin begins Year 12 in State College with what he has called the best combination of personnel and staff of his career. This Nittany Lions introduce that roster Saturday at Beaver Stadium against the Nevada Wolf Pack.

For the second-ranked Nittany Lions, a slow-burn schedule, which seems built for a College Football Playoff run, gets underway with plenty of questions to answer. Has Penn State's offseason rebuild of its receivers room been successful? Does defensive coordinator Jim Knowles have a strong gauge of his talent? Is quarterback Drew Allar poised to make the leap into college football's top tier of quarterbacks? And is Beaver Stadium ready for its temporary closeup?

Here's what we'll be following when the Nittany Lions host Nevada at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

No. 2 Penn State vs. Nevada

When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Where: Beaver Stadium

TV: CBS

Series History: First meeting

Betting Line: Penn State is a 43.5-point favorite

How to watch, stream Penn State vs. Nevada

Penn State football coach James Franklin greets fans on Curtin Road outside Beaver Stadium before the Blue-White Game. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CBS will carry the Penn State-Nevada game live from Beaver Stadium starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game kicks off the farewell tour of CBS analyst Gary Danielson, who is retiring after 36 years calling college football games. Brad Nessler and sideline reporter Jenny Dell join Danielson on the broadcast.

The game also will be streamed on Paramount+. For those unable to watch, Steve Jones and Jack Ham and will have the radio call on the Penn State Sports Network.

Penn State vs. Nevada Story Lines

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton celebrates his tackle of Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. — Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton celebrates his tackle of Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty during the Fiesta Bowl. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who else emerges on Penn State's defensive line?

Aside from wide receiver, this position group begins the season with the most test questions to answer. End Dani Dennis-Sutton and tackle Zane Durant are among the best at their positions nationally, but who will ride with them? Franklin and line coach Deion Barnes have raved about true freshmen Chaz Coleman and Yvan Kemajou outside, but they're not yet Big Ten game-ready. Inside, Alonzo Ford Jr. is reclaiming his sea legs after a season-ending injury. The rotations and snap counts will be something to track up front.

Did Penn State make wise investments at receiver?

Danielson brought up an interesting point in this interview: Penn State underused its receivers last season, culminating in their no-catch game vs. Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Franklin tapped his football budget to bring in Kyron Hudson from USC, Trebor Pena from Syracuse and Devonte Ross from Syracuse. That's the starkest position overhaul Franklin has made at Penn State. They're in State College to make the passing game more explosive. The Nittany Lions will test that theory vs. Nevada, which likely will play its safeties deep to counter. That should be a good litmus test for Penn State.

What does a Jim Knowles defense look like?

The former Ohio State coordinator freely admits that his defense can be complicated both to learn and play. He moves players around, asks his defensive backs to be flexible and likes to deploy players with multiple skills. For instance: Will Knowles assign a linebacker to some pass-rush duties, particularly on third down, to compensate for the lack of defensive ends? How will he rotate the cornerbacks? And will he find creative ways to use linebacker Tony Rojas' speed? Knowles won't answer all those questions Saturday, but he'll be a fun watch.

Penn State players to watch

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Luke Reynolds celebrates after converting a fake punt vs. the Minnesota Golden Gophers. — Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Luke Reynolds (85) celebrates after converting a fake punt against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Tight end Luke Reynolds: In a trio of gifted tight ends, Reynolds is probably the best receiver and downfield threat. He could be a dynamic, 35-catch player in this offense.

Receiver Devonte Ross: Franklin said that Ross has recovered from an offseason injury and is ready for the opener. Though his snaps might be limited, he is potentially the most exciting receiver of the newcomers.

Defensive end Jaylen Harvey: The Nittany Lions need edge rushers to step forward these first three games. Barnes said that Harvey, a redshirt freshman, has matured over the past year. "He understands now what it takes," the defensive line coach said.

Nevada players to watch

Nevada’s Chubba Purdy throws a pass during football practice in Reno. | Jason Bean/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quarterback Chubba Purdy: Brock's brother is a sixth-year quarterback at his third school, having played at Nebraska and Florida State. He can run a bit and even caught two passes last season, so he'll test Penn State's ability to deal with QBs who can move when a play breaks down.

Receiver Marcus Bellon: He's the biggest threat on Nevada's offense and is a solid punt-returner as well. Bellon averaged 13.4 yards per catch last season with five touchdowns.

Running back Herschel Turner: The sophomore transfer from Utah State isn't the biggest back (5-9, 196 pounds) but he runs hard and is central to the offense head coach Jeff Choate wants to operate. He should be successful in Mountain West action.

Penn State vs. Nevada predictions

Mark Wogenrich: Penn State is going to throw, throw, throw in the first half, and the starters might be on the field long enough to makes fans uneasy. But this is an important test drive for Drew Allar and his receivers, so make the mileage count. Penn State 59, Nevada 7

Chase Fisher: Saturday’s contest features two programs heading in complete opposite directions. Penn State is a top-three, national-championship favorite, while Nevada is coming off a 3-10 record, rebuilding its program with over 50 new players for 2025. Nevada allowed nearly 200 rushing yards per game in 2024, a weakness Penn State will exploit. Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will gash a shaky Wolfpack run defense for over 300 combined yards en route to a blowout victory. Penn State 51, Nevada 6

Amanda Vogt: Penn State’s offense will immediately showcase its new receivers and hint at how the unit will be different this season. I think Nevada is going to have trouble moving down the field and will really only get one scoring opportunity. We’re probably going to start seeing what the depth looks like and how James Franklin plans on establishing a rotation. Penn State 35, Nevada 7