Penn State football enters the 2024 season with some questions, yet also some big expectations. With Michigan's Jim Harbaugh leaving that program for the NFL, many believe a new champion will emerge in the Big Ten Conference race this season. Nittany Lions fans hope that team will be Penn State. The squad is definitely one of the most respected teams in the conference, as the team was picked third in the Big Ten preseason poll.
Here are some bold way-too-early predictions about what will happen for Penn State football in the 2024 season.
Penn State's Julian Fleming will have a 1,000 yard receiving season
The Nittany Lions have an excellent transfer wide receiver in Julian Fleming. Fleming is playing in his final season of college eligibility, after spending the last several years at Ohio State. Fleming finished his four year career at Ohio State with fewer than 1,000 total receiving yards. His best season was in 2022, when he gained 533 total receiving yards. The veteran got lost in the shuffle, especially when Marvin Harrison Jr. came on the scene in Columbus.
That production was disappointing for Fleming, who entered college as one of the most highly touted wideouts in America. Fleming was the no. 4 overall high school recruit in the 2020 class, per 247 Sports. He was expected to be a phenomenal receiver, and he will earn that status in State College. The senior wideout grew up only a few hours from campus, and returning close to home will help Fleming have a breakout season.
That breakout season will end with Fleming having more than 1,000 receiving yards, eclipsing his four-year total at Ohio State. Fleming will be not only one of the best wideouts in the program, he will be one of the best receivers in the entire Big Ten conference.
Drew Allar will lead the Big Ten in passing yards
One of the reasons why Fleming will have a great season receiving, is because he will have a great quarterback throwing him the ball. It is a bold prediction, but Penn State football quarterback Drew Allar is talented enough to lead the conference this year in passing yards.
Allar is arguably the most important returning quarterback in the league. The young quarterback threw for 2,631 yards in 2023, with 25 touchdowns. The most impressive stat for Allar, though, is in a different statistical category. The young gun threw only two interceptions last season, despite nearly 400 total pass attempts. That's extremely impressive.
The quarterback also has a good deal of experience in the conference. Allar is entering his third season playing in State College. He's completed about 59 percent of his total passes, despite his youth.
It is true that there are several other really talented quarterbacks in this league. Many will compete with Allar for the honor of leading the league in passing yards. But Allar is as talented as any of them, and he now has a legitimate deep threat in Fleming to throw the ball to.
Penn State football will win the Big Ten conference
Penn State has what it takes to win the Big Ten this year, and it will win the Big Ten this year. The Nittany Lions have a favorable schedule, with bitter rival Ohio State a home game this season. That is pivotal, and a must-win contest for this Nittany Lions squad.
Penn State's conference schedule also includes tough games with Wisconsin and USC, among others. In a stroke of luck, the Nittany Lions don't have to face Oregon. The Ducks were picked second in the preseason conference poll. There's a path forward for Penn State to shock the world and win the Big Ten this season.
Penn State football's fate will be swayed heavily by how it plays in its first game. The Nittany Lions have a very tough opener on August 31, heading to Morgantown to play West Virginia.
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