Last year, Penn State was seen as a Devy Paradise; fast forward, and things have changed. It has only been a year, but it has not been great for the Penn State offense and their skill players. As a result, changes have come to the coaching staff.
James Franklin isn’t going anywhere, at least not with his buyout number. Instead, the established head coach made a change to offensive coordinator. Out goes former wonder kid Mike Yurcich; in comes Andy Kotelnicki.
The pride of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Kotelnicki finds himself in State College after 20 years of coaching. His notable stops include Buffalo, where he coached up draft Twitter darling Tyree Jackson, and most recently, Kansas. While in Lawrence, he led an offense that was creative and effective in their approach and execution.
Kotelnicki had an athletic quarterback in Jalon Daniels at Kansas, and it opened up his whole offense. No offense to Daniels, but if the offense in Kansas is that effective with him at the helm, what will it look like with Drew Allar?
Penn State’s talent at its skill positions is at least twice that of Kansas. If he could succeed with the pieces he had at Buffalo and Kansas, imagine the results at Penn State. Hence the time to buy Penn State devy assets is now; here are a few.
Drew Allar, Quarterback
Physical traits? Check. Arm Talent? Check. Consistency that makes you want to buy in? Not yet.
The former five-star recruit chose Penn State over his native Ohio State in a move seen as payback for stealing Terrelle Pryor 15 years earlier. Allar started last year for the Nittany Lions and got them ten wins. However, his work’s results were very much hit-and-miss, depending on the competition. He struggled against Ohio State and Michigan but dominated the rest of the Big Ten. Kotelnicki will bring a new offense with lots of creativity to broaden his horizons and open things up.
We may finally see the Drew Allar we had all been hoping for.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Running Backs
Penn State has a unique history with running backs, and they have two more on the roster now. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen joined Penn State as a part of their 2022 recruiting class, and from there, they hit the ground running.
The pair combined for 2,201 total yards across the ground and air while finding the endzone 24 times. No running back duo in the country made as big an impact or was as good, especially as a freshman. With those monster numbers trailing them, they entered 2023 with big expectations that weren’t met precisely. With just their bowl game remaining, in 2023, the pair has earned 1,856 total yards and 16 touchdowns.
Those are great numbers in 2023, but neither of them hit the 1,000-yard mark, and both relied on big rushing totals in several games to counteract disappointing days against Penn State and Michigan. They have seen their stocks take a tiny hit, which may be enough for them to be bought at a better price. Singleton and Allen have the makings of being lead NFL running backs. Invest now before the price soars back up in 2024.
Andrew Rappleyea, Tight End
8. Andrew Rappleyea | PSU
— CFFguys (@CFFguys) May 5, 2023
📏 6’ 4” ⚖️ 235 lbs
Draft Eligible: 2026
Strengths:
✅ Route-running
✅ Physicality
✅ Speed
Analysis:
Already gained 20 lbs as an EE True Frosh. Drawing comparisons to Pat Freiermuth. His HS film is so impressive.pic.twitter.com/WycVP47Ldn
A name that one could almost guarantee you haven’t heard of, Andrew Rappleyea deserves your attention. The former four-star recruit was one of the top recruits in Penn State’s 2023 class, and he has the athletic profile to be the next great Penn State tight end.
He didn’t play much in 2023 because Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson were ahead of him. In 2024, though, you should see him get some meaningful reps, with 2025 being a season where he takes the job over completely. He is very much a long-term player, but that may have to do with his athletic background.
Rappleyea played just two seasons of high school football in 2021 and 2022, before which he had been a basketball player. He played basketball for four years, earning three All-County honors while being competitive in weightlifting. What better athletic background could you want for a tight-end prospect? He has a chance to be an absolute steal in all devy trades right now with a long-term play with tremendous upside.
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