Future Stars: Saints Eye Penn State Talent in Upcoming CFP Showdown

Here are some of the top draft prospects to watch when Penn State hosts SMU in College Football Playoff showdown on Saturday.

Bob Rose | 10 Hours Ago

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) makes a catch against the Maryland Terrapins / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

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New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints need plenty of help at several different positions as they head towards the 2025 offseason. Like every team, the Saints have started preparing for the draft long ago.

The newly instituted 12-team college football playoff will be the last time teams will see several of the draft's top-rated players in game action.

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On Saturday afternoon, the 6th seeded Penn State Nittany Lions will host the 11th seed SMU Mustangs in one of the playoff matchups. The winner will face 3rd seed Boise State, one of four squads on a bye.

Both SMU and Penn State come in with identical 11-2 records. Each team has a ton of NFL-caliber talent. Here are the top prospects on each side.

Top Penn State Prospects

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs after a catch against the Purdue Boilermakers / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

• Tyler Warren, TE (No. 44)
• Abdul Carter, Edge (No. 11)
• Nicholas Singleton, RB (No. 10)
• Kaytron Allen, RB (No. 13)
• Jaylen Reed, S (No. 1)

Warren is a do-it-all player. He's putting a cap on a spectacular Penn State career with 88 catches for 1,062 yards, 191 rushing yards, and three pass completions for 35 yards and 11 total touchdowns this year alone.

Projected to be an early second round choice, Warren has the receiving ability to be a major threat at tight end while adding almost Taysom Hill-like versatility to an offense. With such abilities, it wouldn't be surprising to see Warren sneak into the latter stages of the draft's first round.

Abdul Carter doesn't fit the usual Saints prototype at the edge. He's not an off-ball linebacker, but at 6'3" and 251-Lbs. is undersized for a 4-3 end. Still, his elite explosiveness and production (21 sacks/37 tackles for loss) make him a potential top-10 pick and possibly the first edge rusher off the board.

Singleton and Allen have shared backfield duties for all three years together in Happy Valley. Singleton, the more versatile and dynamic of the two, has a team-high 838 rushing yards this year and 2,651 over his three years with 35 total touchdowns. Allen, more of a power runner, has 822 on the ground this year and 2,591 over his three years with 26 total scores.

Top SMU Prospects

Southern Methodist Mustangs defensive end Elijah Roberts (5) in action against the California Golden Bears / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

• Brashard Smith, RB (No. 1)
• Elijah Roberts, DE (No. 5)
• Logan Parr, G (No. 71)
• Kevin Jennings, QB (No. 7)

After playing sparingly at Miami for three seasons, Roberts erupted after transferring to SMU. He led the Mustangs with 1,270 yards and 14 scores on the ground while also pulling in 35 passes for an additional 303 yards and eight touchdowns.

Another transfer from the Hurricanes, Roberts looks the part at 6'4" and 278-Lbs. His statistical production dropped from 10 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in his first season at SMU to 5.5 sacks and nine stops for loss this year. A good playoff performance would greatly elevate his status going into pre-draft workouts.

A mammoth at 6'4" and 314-Lbs., Parr could be one of the top interior blockers going into the draft. It's also a greatly understated need for the Saints that could be targeted as early as a Day 2 pick.

Jennings is a dual-threat quarterback who's running ability will attract attention. He's also shown upside as a passer with 3,050 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. It's those passing skills that could give Penn State problems while also potentially pushing Jennings into a late Day 2/early Day 3 possibility with a good playoff outing.