Penn State Begins 2023 at No. 7 in Preseason Coaches Poll

The Lions are a preseason top-10 pick for the 4th time under coach James Franklin.

Penn State landed at No. 7 in the USA Today Sports AFCA football coaches preseason poll Monday, the program's highest debut since the COVID season of 2020 and, more importantly, the highly anticipated 2017 campaign. That year, the Lions were ranked sixth after winning a Big Ten title and playing in the Rose Bowl the previous season. The 2023 Lions enter the season with similarly high expectations after winning 11 games, including the Rose Bowl, and returning a significant talent base.

The Lions, who began 2022 unranked, finished at No. 8 in the final coaches poll following an 11-2 season and a win over Utah in the Rose Bowl. They return 13 starters (seven offense, six defense) from that team, including the Big Ten freshman of the year (running back Nicholas Singleton), two second-team All-Americans (tackle Olu Fashanu and cornerback Kalen King) and eight other All-Big Ten players.

Entering his 10th season at Penn State, coach James Franklin also has assembled one of his deepest rosters yet. The Lions return 40 letterwinners and brought in a recruiting class ranked among the top 15 nationally. Franklin said the team is "bigger, stronger and faster than we've been" while also maturing following the departure of six captains.

"I do think this is as much depth we have had," Franklin said. "We have a three-deep at pretty much every position, and I'd probably describe it a little bit more in more detail as probably a two-and-a-half deep. What I mean by that is if you talk about the defensive end position, really talking about five guys that we think we can win with. So two-deep at each side, and then a spare, a fifth guy that could swing it, but at some positions, I do think we have a true three-deep. I just don't remember us having that as consistently across the board, and that really even goes to the specialists. I think we have more competition at the specialist positions that we've had in the past, so I think the stability on the staff, the more depth, those things, those things are good, and I think they typically lead to giving yourself a chance to be successful.

"Are we excited about it? Yes. Do we still have a lot of work to do and a lot of questions to answer? Yes. Do I think we are arguably in the best conference in college football and specifically the best division? I think we are part of that argument. I think it's hard to say that we're not. And again, I've been a head coach in both conferences [the Big Ten and SEC] that are a part of that discussion, in my opinion, so I think I've got a pretty good lens on all of this."

Penn State is ranked in the preseason coaches poll top 10 for the fourth time in Franklin's tenure. The Lions were sixth in 2017, seventh in 2020 and 2023 and ninth in 2018. Two-time defending champ Georgia tops this year's preseason poll with 61 first-place votes, followed by Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and USC. Franklin is a member of the 66-coaches voting panel.

Penn State begins the 2023 season Sept. 2 against West Virginia at Beaver Stadium. The game marks the debut of NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night broadcast.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.