Penn State’s Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame didn’t sit right with center Nick Dawkins. He sat with a somber expression in the postgame locker and stated frankly, “I’m sick to my stomach right now.” Dawkins, a team captain who flourished over his first year as a starter, now has the opportunity to help his team rebound. He’ll return for the 2025 season.
“We had a great season this year, but there is still unfinished business. That is why I have decided I will forgo the NFL Draft and return to Penn State for my sixth and final season in 2025,” Dawkins posted on social media on Tuesday. “We have accomplished so many great things here as a family, but I believe the best is yet to come.”
Dawkins hardly saw the field over his first three years with the Nittany Lions. But he waited and waited until he saw some significant playing time as a redshirt junior in 2023, and eventually made the starting lineup this past season. He was instrumental both on the field and in the locker room in leading a Penn State team that went to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Dawkins is also a significant voice in the State College community. He was named the recipient of the Wuerffel Trophy, which recognizes community service in college football.
“In the day and age of the transfer portal, where guys typically don’t wait around, he’s waited all this time to be a starter, and right now he’s playing really well,” James Franklin said on Sept. 18. “He’s one of these guys that really has maximized his Penn State experience. There’s a lot of people who call him the mayor of State College. I could see him being Governor of the state one day, like, I don’t put anything past this guy. He’s a special guy.”
Dawkins returns to an offensive line that is expected to return three starters — left tackle Drew Shelton, right tackle Anthony Donkoh and left guard Vega Ioane — and lose just one, right guard Sal Wormley, who ran out of eligibility. The Nittany Lions’ line is fully intact ahead of a year that will again feature quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
