5 Penn State football players have an NFL decision to make after the Nittany Lions’ CFP run
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5 Penn State football players have an NFL decision to make after the Nittany Lions’ CFP run

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

With Penn State advancing to the semifinals of the 12-team College Football Playoff, the Nittany Lions have a longer window to make their decisions through the transfer portal and, crucially, declare for the NFL Draft. Penn State has already lost one of its key future pieces to the portal when backup QB Beau Pribula left the team and landed at Missouri, and others could follow him after the end of the 2024 season, but the bigger questions on this roster revolve around that , which draft-eligible players will head into the league this spring.

Junior safety Kevin Winston Jr., who missed nearly the entire season with a knee injury, has already declared for the 2025 draft, and seniors like Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren and star safety Jaylen Reed will not be eligible, but these five players will face off against each other for the toughest draft decision this offseason.

Abdul Carter has not declared for the 2025 NFL Draft yet, but is certain to do so once Penn State’s season is over. Even with a mysterious arm injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State and whose status for the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame is uncertain, he will be a top 10 prospect.

The former linebacker immediately emerged as a star defensive end after an offseason position change, finishing the year with 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He will be a transformational pass rusher for any defense in the NFL, much like the Nittany Lions most recently wore No. 11, Micah Parsons.

Just hours after Pribula announced he was leaving Happy Valley for the transfer portal, it was reported that junior quarterback Drew Allar intends to return to Penn State for his final year of play. However, there have been two games since that announcement, each of which was more exciting for NFL evaluators. Allar has what it takes to be a first-round NFL draft pick, and in a weak 2025 quarterback class, he could be the best option.

If Allar continues to play well in the College Football Playoff or even leads the Nittany Lions to a national championship, he could change his mind and head to the league in the spring.

Nicholas Singleton has been on the NFL’s radar since bursting onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022 with a 1,000-yard season. However, there are now rumors that Singleton and both Lawn Boyz are planning to return to Happy Valley next year.

With Singleton’s remarkable production at such a young age, he would be the perfect running back to move up draft boards. He still has a long run ahead of him before he’s no longer effective enough, and would enter the league with plenty of tread left on the tires considering he’ll be splitting time with Kaytron Allen. Despite the rumors of a return, I would be surprised to see Singleton in blue and white in 2025.

The story is a little different for Kaytron Allen, as it seems more likely that he will stay at Penn State next season. Allen has been Singleton’s RB2 for most of his career, meaning he enters the league with less risk of collapse but also with a lower draft profile. Allen would be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft if he enters, but likely not until Day 3, at which point his zero payday could be comparable to staying at Penn State.

Carter grabs all the headlines on Penn State’s defensive line, but Durant was a monster in interior defense at just 6-foot-10 and 288 pounds. Durant will be undersized for the NFL, but his performance with 27 QB pressures and four sacks in 2024 will catch scouts’ attention. It appears Durant will return, but a dominant performance in the Orange Bowl or a possible national championship game against Texas or Ohio State could change his mind.

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