Final adjustments in place, Penn State in full prep for season opener vs. Nevada
Beaver Stadium has renovations and a new field name, and some player position battles are close to resolved.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Expectations aren’t new for Penn State coach James Franklin. They come with the territory, and Franklin knows that better than anybody entering his 12th season at the helm.
The time has arrived, however, for those high expectations to meet reality, as Penn State gears up for its season opener against Nevada on Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS3).
Franklin spoke Monday about which players won position battles and who will wear the green dot on defense entering Week 1, but he began with a glowing statement regarding the renovations to West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
“It’s pretty cool, all the work that’s gone on to get West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium ready to welcome the fans back,” Franklin said. “Excited about the environment we’ll have at the stadium.”
When Penn State takes the field to the roar of its home crowd, it’ll do so with a few new starters on both sides of the ball.
Antoine Belgrave-Shorter will start at one of the safety positions, Franklin said. The redshirt freshman played limited snaps across seven appearances last season, but an impressive showing in summer camp elevated the young defensive back to a starting role.
“Belgrave led us in interceptions and turnovers [this offseason],” Franklin said. “This training camp, he’s been very consistent about how he’s gone about his business. He has earned that spot.”
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Belgrave-Shorter will play alongside redshirt senior Zakee Wheatley, who started all 16 games at safety last season. Franklin said Penn State will rotate in its other two safeties, which means King Mack and Dejuan Lane will see playing time as well.
The defense will receive signals from a pair of Nittany Lions to open the season, creating an unconventional approach to defensive play-calling.
Franklin said both transfer linebacker Amare Campbell and redshirt senior linebacker Dominic DeLuca will wear the green dot and split those responsibilities. The caveat: DeLuca could be used as a weakside linebacker as well, which would create a scenario where both DeLuca and Campbell share the field on the same play.
The solution: DeLuca will have two helmets, one equipped with the green dot communication, because teams can’t have two defenders on the field who wear the green dot.
“[It’s about] how do we make sure that [DeLuca] has a second helmet if he’s on the field,” Franklin said. “That’s a little bit of gymnastics. We’ve been working through that at practice, we’ve been using the communication all training camp.”
Nick Singleton and Mack will alternate kick-returning opportunities, while Zion Tracy, Trebor Peña, and Devonte Ross will rotate at punt returner, Franklin said. Singleton led the team with 14 kick returns last season. Tracy returned 15 punts.
Special teams coordinator Justin Lustig said during media day that speedy receiver Tyseer Denmark could also return punts.
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While positional battles were frequent across the roster, starting quarterback wasn’t one of them. Senior gunslinger Drew Allar, who tallied a career-best 66.5% completion rate in 2024, will lead Penn State’s offense for the third consecutive season. Franklin highlighted Allar’s physical improvements, saying the veteran QB has gotten more athletic and explosive since last season. He also harped on Allar’s improved leadership.
“He’s gotten a stronger voice. He’s very steady Eddie,“ Franklin said. ”He’s got a workmanlike approach in the weight room, in the film room.”
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While the starting quarterback gig was a shoo-in, the battle to back Allar up wasn’t. Franklin declined to name a backup QB on Monday — he’s maintained that the competition will continue throughout the season — but said the staff would sit down with the candidates, Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik, on Monday to name the Week 1 backup.
Franklin gave freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman and freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson the “green light,” which, in Penn State’s system, means those first-year players can burn their redshirts. Franklin said wide receiver Koby Howard is close to getting the green light but needs to show more on special teams to officially earn the nod.