Joel Klatt says Penn State is 'loaded' in 2023

Ohio State and Michigan might be getting the most attention in the Big Ten heading into 2023, but FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt isn’t discounting Penn State. In a recent episode of his podcast, The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt ranked the Nittany Lions No. 5 in his post-spring top 25 rankings, saying they are “loaded.”

Penn State returns running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who combined for 1,928 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns this past season, as well as second team All-Big Ten tackle Olu Fashanu. Additionally, seven starters return from a defense that ranked 10th in the country with 18.2 points allowed per game.

“Penn State’s loaded,” Klatt said. “This is the best team James Franklin has had since they won the Big Ten Championship Game. They’ve got these two young running backs that we talked a lot about last year. They’re fantastic. The best tackle in college football, Olu Fashanu. Then a new quarterback in Drew Allar, who a lot of people are excited for. This is a defense that’s gonna continue to be very solid. They have been for a long time, but they will continue to be very solid.”

Allar, a former five-star recruit in the 2022 class, is set to take over as the starting quarterback following the graduation of Sean Clifford. He ranked as the No. 28 overall players and No. 3 quarterback according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The Nittany Lions also brought in former Kent State receiver Dante Cephas, the No. 8 wideout according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings, and bring back KeAndre Lambert-Smith. That gives Clifford a couple of weapons at his disposal and has Klatt predicting big things in his first season as starter.

“I’m very interested in Drew Allar,” the FOX Sports analyst said. “This is a guy I think could be a top-end talent. I think he could have a sophomore campaign similar to what we saw from Drake Maye a year ago, so that’s something to watch for when we’re watching this Big Ten and in particular the Big Ten East. Here I’ve got all three of these teams — Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State — ready to go all in the top five.”

Penn State is coming off of an 11-2 finish in 2022 with its only losses coming to the Wolverines and Buckeyes, both of which made the College Football Playoff. Klatt ranked both teams ahead of the Nittany Lions, with Michigan at No. 2 and Ohio State at No. 3.

Still, the potential for Penn State is evident with the talent on its roster, and depending on the results of its games against those two Big Ten foes, 2023 could be a massive year.