Five Nittany Lions were selected to the Phil Steele preseason All-Big Ten team, and it shows that Penn State still might be a couple of years away.
We are still about six weeks away from the beginning of fall camp, when it all starts to get real for the college football season. Storyline becomes reality, and teams begin to put their character on the field.
For now, we continue to live in a world of hypotheticals, and this one is a preseason all-conference selection.
Last year, on the All-Big Ten coaches' team, there were six total players selected to the postseason team. There were three on offense, two on defense, and one special teamer that landed anywhere between first team and honorable mention.
For all intents and purposes, it was a fairly successful honoring after a year that was largely to be forgotten about in the history of Penn State football.
Looking forward to 2026 with a brand new team and a brand new regime, the Nittany Lions received some preseason acknowledgement and recognition.
National college football writer Phil Steele releases his yearly College Football Preview Magazine, and in it, he releases his all-team picks. For the Big Ten, Steele projected five Nittany Lions to make the all-conference team.
The leader in the clubhouse is tight end transfer Ben Brahmer, who came with Matt Campbell from Iowa State. Not only is Brahmer projected to be a first-teamer, but he also could be a complete and total game-changer for Penn State.
The second team gets one Nittany Lion on it, and that is long-snapper Blaise Sokach-Minnick.
On the third team, there are two Nittany Lions: offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh and safety Jeremiah Cooper. On the fourth team is linebacker Tony Rojas, who has the potential to make a major leap this year.
While Penn State received at least a little bit of respect in this prediction, it still shows that it's going to be very challenging for the Nittany Lions next year. There were no quarterbacks on the list, no wide receivers, and no running backs to speak of.
Once again, the Nittany Lions will be skill-deficient and will likely be that way for one, maybe two more seasons, until the future Nittany Lions are ready to take over.
It's very easy to be very excited about these Nittany Lions after the offseason that they had. However, it is important to temper expectations, and anything good that happens should be viewed as a cherry on top of what could be a tough year. The Nittany Lions still might be a couple of years away.
Penn State Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Penn State Nittany Lions. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
