The college football season is inching closer, with the first game of the season to take place on Aug. 23. With this being said, fans and insiders all throughout the country are looking forward to it starting.
Just 10 days before the start, CBS Sports released its college football Preseason All-America team on Wednesday. The list of some of the top players across the nation includes four different Penn State players.
The four players from Penn State include three on offense and one defender, making for a highly anticipated season for the Nittany Lions.
- Nicholas Singleton, RB: The senior running back is returning for his fourth year at Penn State. Although Penn State's backfield will be highlighted by a one-two punch with Kaytron Allen also receiving snaps, expect Singleton to carry over the same success as last season. In 2024, he finished with 1,099 rushing yards, 375 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns.
- Olaivavega Ioane, OG: Penn State's 202.3 rushing yards per game last season wasn't just because of their highly talented running back room with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. All four of the Nittany Lions' starting offensive linemen will be returning for 2025, and redshirt junior Ioane will help lead the experienced line after leading the team last season in offensive snaps.
- Nick Dawkins, C: The one Preseason All-America player on the second-team for Penn State. Dawkins, a redshirt senior, started all of the Nittany Lions' games last season. He joins Olaivavega Ioane as the two offensive linemen nominated to the preseason list. Dawkins earned a Big Ten honorable mention in 2024.
- Zane Durant, DT: A senior from Lake Nona, Florida, Durant had a breakout season in 2024. He finished with 42 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and three sacks as the middle man on Penn State's defensive line. After earning a Big Ten honorable mention in 2024, expect Durant to have another improving season in 2025.
Penn State will look to improve from a 2024 season that had the Nittany Lions losing to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Heading into 2025, Singleton, Ioane, Dawkins, Durant, and Penn State will begin the regular season as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation.