Four Penn State Football Players Ranked Among Top 100 Returners in 2025

Three returning Nittany Lions and one intriguing transfer are part of College Sports Network's list of the top returning players for 2025.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs the ball in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Penn State emerged from a hectic January with a roster that still includes many of its top players from the record-setting 2024 team that was a few snaps from playing for the national championship. Now, Penn State football will field one of the most talented and experienced rosters in the country.

The Nittany Lions return their quarterback, two 1,000-yard rushers, five offensive linemen with starting experience and four team captains. There's talent across the roster, which has prompted multiple college football analysts to rank Penn State is their No. 1 too-early team entering the 2025 preseason.

Notably, four Penn State football players rank among college football's top 100 returning players, according to one site that specializes in covering the sport. College Sports Network lists three returning Nittany Lions and one intriguing new player to their top-100 list for 2025. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, running back Nicholas Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar headline the list along with transfer receiver Davonte Ross, who joined Penn State's roster following three seasons at Troy. Here's a look at where the Nittany Lions rank

85: Dani Dennis-Sutton: The defensive end played superbly down the stretch, making six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and an interception in Penn State's three playoff games. He is poised to become Penn State's third consecutive edge rusher drafted in the first round, joining Chop Robinson and Abdul Carter.

As College Football Network noted, "His combination of first-step quickness, power, and pure fury make him a dangerous pass rusher off the edge, but he’s also adept at dropping into coverage (just ask [Notre Dame quarterback] Riley Leonard!)."

No. 49: Devonte Ross: The transfer receiver is an interesting, and very welcome for Penn State, inclusion in the top-50. Ross was first-team All-Sun Belt last season, when he led the conference and ranked fifth nationally with 11 touchdown receptions. Ross caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards and had a three-touchdown game vs. Iowa, including a 77-yard score on a punt return.

Penn State desperately needs a playmaking receiver and might have found one with Ross. "His speed will significantly affect the Penn State Nittany Lions offense," according to CFN.

No 31: Nicholas Singleton: The fourth-year back found his stride late in the season, rushing for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in the Nittany Lions' last five games. A midseason injury detoured Singleton briefly, though he recovered for a superb finish. CSN rightly notes that ranking Singleton this highly should included fellow 1,000-yard rusher Kaytron Allen in the formula. However, the site favors Singleton in the rotation.

"While Allen is favored by some Penn State fans, Singleton is clearly the more talented of the two, with his receiving prowess set to be more important than ever to quarterback Drew Allar’s success this fall," College Sports Network writes.

No. 8: Drew Allar: The third-year starting quarterback announced his decision to return before the playoffs began. That interception against Notre Dame, his final throw of the season, merely solidified his resolve to return stronger. Teammates say that Allar has been on a mission since the Orange Bowl loss, even if Penn State merely is conducting winter workouts. CSN has Allar as the highest-ranked returning quarterback in college football.

"... [W]hen he’s at his very best, there is no better-returning quarterback in college football than Allar. He can throw the ball into tight windows with impressive velocity, possesses exceptional accuracy, can manipulate and maneuver expertly in the pocket, and showcased the ability to put the ball on a dime deep downfield in several big moments last fall."

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