What gifts should Penn State football and its fans want this holiday season?

The holiday season is here, and regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, something else, or nothing at all, everyone has a few things they’d like this time of year.

Penn State and its fans are no different. The Lions are fresh off a 10-2 season that helped punch their ticket for a Jan. 2 Rose Bowl date with Utah in Pasadena, Calif. Most fans would have been pleased with simply receiving that back in August. But, this is sports, and the wish list is always being added to.

What should be on Penn State’s? We make our top five picks (including one non-football entry) for the future and wish you and yours a happy and safe holidays.

1. More Class of 2023 additions

Penn State signed a top 15 high school Class of 2023 back on Wednesday. It also has a transfer portal addition in former Florida Atlantic punter Riley Thompson. However, there is still room at the inn. And, the Lions know what positions they’d still like to fill either via the transfer portal or the second high school signing day in February.

“I’d like to see us get another offensive lineman and then wide receiver,” James Franklin said. “That’s a position where I could see us signing a couple more guys at that position just to make sure that we have the competition at that position on a similar scale that we do at tight end and running back. I think that’s going to be important for us moving forward. Offensive tackles that are still out there, wide receivers that are still out there, we’ll be in pursuit.

“On the defensive side of the ball, we’d like to get a defensive tackle, possibly another defensive end just from a numbers perspective. Again, depending on how this thing plays out in the back end as defensive back, we could be in the need for one or two more defensive backs.”

The target board is clear moving forward.

2. A win in the Rose Bowl

If the positions listed above felt obvious, this one is even more so. The Lions are an underdog as they ready to leave for California on Monday. But, the Utes have had a couple of key opt-outs — tight end Dalton Phillips and corner Clark Phillips — that will hurt the PAC-12 side’s cause. Of course, Penn State will be without top corner Joey Porter Jr., and receiver Parker Washington.

Regardless of who is playing, a New Year’s Six win can and will jumpstart a team’s offseason. A loss doesn’t throw it off track, of course. But, as Penn State aims to add talent, an exciting performance on Jan. 2 certainly won’t hurt its efforts to do so. And, it would make fans feel even better about the 2023 season, as well, even if one postseason contest shouldn’t necessarily change those feelings all that much, either.

Oh, and one other thing we’d be remiss not to mention: Seeing Drew Allar play meaningful snaps in his final game before taking over the starting quarterback job would appease many fans.

3. Continue building the NIL base at Penn State

This is one the program wants. And, fans do too, and they can collectively help the cause.

“I think we’ve made up a lot of ground, but we still have a lot of work to do if we say we want to approach NIL and everything else when it comes to competing at the highest level,” James Franklin said.

“The reality is we’re going to solve this problem like we’ve solved every other problem in our history, and that’s together. That’s all of us. Obviously, we have the power of the Penn State brand, but we also have the power of one of the largest living alumni networks. It’s going to take all of us to get to where we want to go.”

It’s obvious from Franklin and athletic director Pat Kraft that things on the name, image, and likeness front are moving in the right direction. But, more is needed, be it from fans, businesses, or a combination of the two to get Penn State on the same level as some of its peers.

4. A final decision from Penn State on the future of Beaver Stadium

Kraft raised eyebrows when he said a week or so ago that he believes the athletic department is close to making a recommendation to the university president and Board of Trustees about what it believes the best path forward for Beaver Stadium is. It certainly sounds like working on the current structure, be it via renovations or a scheduled teardown and rebuild of select items over a period of time, is favorable to building new. But, that answer isn’t in yet. It sounds like it will be by the early to middle part of 2023, however, and would be a public sign that Kraft is a doer, which many believe he is.

Penn State fans have waited a long time to have this question resolved, and the football program has, too. So, it has to make the list.

5. Postseason success for basketball and wrestling

Penn State wrestling is the top-ranked team in the country entering 2023 and poised to defend its 2021 national title. Many of its wrestlers are on track to do so, as well, and some could join their teammates on the top podium at nationals for the first time.

We start there, but must also mention Micah Shrewsberry’s basketball program, as well. The second-year leader of the Lions has a team that could finally break the program’s long NCAA Tournament drought. Fans will be watching the program closely in the early stages of next year to see how realistic that idea is, but it’s certainly in the cards right now.