Football Names Captains For 2024 Season

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State football head coach James Franklin announced junior quarterback Drew Allar, redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins, redshirt junior linebacker Dominic DeLuca, redshirt junior linebacker Kobe King, junior punter Riley Thompson and junior safety Kevin Winston Jr. have been named team captains for the 2024 season.

 

DeLuca has been voted as a team captain for the second-straight season.

 

 

Drew Allar · Jr. · QB · 6-5 · 238 · Medina, Ohio · Medina

• Named to the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award and Maxwell Award Watch Lists.
• Earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media in 2023.
• Enters 2024 season ranked first in school history in career interception percentage (0.45), third in completion percentage (59.7), seventh in touchdown pass percentage (6.46) and seventh in passing efficiency (135.8).
• Started all 13 games last season.
• Completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns (two interceptions), while rushing for four scores.
• Set Penn State season record for lowest interception percentage (0.51) and became the first quarterback in school history to throw for 10+ touchdowns before throwing an interception in a season.
• His 25 touchdown passes were tied third in a season at Penn State, while he ranked fifth in touchdowns responsible for (29), sixth in completions (233), seventh in attempts (389), ninth in completion percentage (59.9) and tied-ninth in 200+ yard passing games (7).
• Finished second in the nation in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12.5-to-1).
• Tied for the Big Ten lead in passing touchdowns (25; T-18^th nationally) and finished second in points responsible for (176; T-26^th), fourth in passing efficiency (136.9) and passing yards (2,631) and fifth in yards per pass attempt (6.76).
• Joined Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker (2022) as the only FBS quarterbacks ever to throw 25+ touchdown passes and 2 or less interceptions in a season.
• Began 2023 season with 251 pass attempts without an interception, the sixth-most to start a season since 2000, trailing only Louisiana Tech’s Colby Cameron (428; 2012), Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (285; 2013), Western Kentucky’s Tyrrell Pigrome (278; 2020), NC State’s Ryan Finley (274; 2017) and West Virginia’s Geno Smith (273; 2012).
• Opened career with 311 passing attempts without an interception, shattering the FBS record held by Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (209 attempts in 2008).

 

Nick Dawkins · R-Sr. · OL · 6-4 · 298 · Allentown, Pa. · Parkland

• Named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list.
• Has appeared in 26 games as a Nittany Lion.
• Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks and tourism management.
• Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
• Was Penn State’s Public Service Award winner in 2023 and won the team’s Letterman’s Club Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding graduate.
• Appeared in all 13 games on offense and special teams last season.
• Helped Penn State to tally at least 400 yards in six games, including a season-best 586 yards at Michigan State.
• Penn State did not allow a sack against Delaware, Iowa or Rutgers.
• The Nittany Lions rushed for over 200 yards in five games and threw for at least 200 yards in eight games.
• The Nittany Lions had multiple rushing touchdowns in eight games last season.

 

Dominic DeLuca · R-Jr. · LB · 6-1 · 228 · West Pittston, Pa. · Wyoming Area

• Has appeared in 29 career games.
• Joined team as a run-on in Spring 2021 and earned a scholarship at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
• Earned the team’s John Bruno Award, recognizing Penn State’s outstanding special teams player.
• Has tallied 58 tackles (35 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, four pass breakups and two blocked punts in his career.
• Appeared in 13 games on defense and special teams in 2023, posting 29 tackles (17 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and a blocked punt in 2023.
• Served as a team captain in 2023 and was awarded the No. 0 jersey as Penn State’s special teams leader.

 

Kobe King · R-Jr. · LB · 6-1 · 251 · Detroit, Mich. · Cass Tech

• Named to the Butkus Award watch list.
• Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels from the coaches and media in 2023.
• Has appeared in 30 career games, making 11 starts.
• Owns 103 tackles (60 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups in Penn State career.

• In 2023, posted 59 tackles (39 solo) to go with six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one QB hurry, while starting 11 games at middle linebacker.
• According to Pro Football Focus, led Big Ten linebackers with an 85.3 run defense grade (minimum 200 run defense snaps).
• His 85.3 run defense grade ranked ninth among FBS linebackers and third among Power Four linebackers.
• Finished third on the team with 27 solo tackles on run plays.

 

Riley Thompson · Jr. · P · 6-1 · 221 · Melbourne, Australia · Haileybury/Deakin/Florida Atlantic

• Named to the Ray Guy Award watch list.
• Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media.
• In 2023, Thompson punted 50 times for 2,290 yards (45.8 average) with a long of 56.
• Landed 17 punts inside the 20, eight inside the 10, and had 15 punts that went for 50+ yards.
• Ranked fourth in the Big Ten with his 45.8 punt average.
• Penn State sat sixth in the nation (second in the Big Ten) with a 42.9 net punt average.
• His 45.8 average in 2023 is good for second all-time in a season at Penn State.
• In his career, Thompson is averaging 45.6 yards with 43 punts inside the 20, 14 inside the 10 and 30 punts of 50+ yards.
• His 45.6 punt average at Penn State ranks first all-time at PSU (minimum 50 punts).

 

Kevin Winston Jr. · Jr. · S · 6-2 · 205 · Columbia, Md. · DeMatha Catholic

• Named to Bednarik Award Watch List.
• Has appeared in 25 career games, making 13 starts.
• Tabbed All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media in 2023.
• Through his first two seasons in Happy Valley, tallied 77 tackles (45 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one interception and five pass breakups.
• Started all 13 games at safety last season, recording a team-high 60 tackles (35 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception and five pass breakups.
• According to Pro Football Focus, allowed a 50.0 completion percentage and forced four incompletions when targeted.
• Earned a 90.6 run defense grade, leading the Big Ten (all positions) and ranking third in the nation among safeties (minimum 200 run defense snaps).
• His 90.6 run defense grade was tied fifth in the nation among all players (minimum 200 run defense snaps).
• Had an 86.8 coverage grade, ranking fourth among Big Ten safeties and 11^th among FBS safeties.
• Led PSU with 28 solo tackles in run defense.

 

Penn State's season opener at West Virginia on Aug. 31 will kick at noon on FOX. The Nittany Lions return 42 lettermen from last year’s squad – 17 on offense, 22 on defense and three on special teams and bring back 16 starters – seven on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.

 

For club and ticket information for the 2024 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.