There is one player on the Clemson defense who is familiar with playing against Penn State.
Defensive end Will Heldt, who transferred in from Purdue after last season, faced off against the Nittany Lions last season with the Boilermakers. Penn State won that game 48-10 and would wind up making a deep run in the College Football Playoff.
“I remember they were great last year,” Heldt said. “I remember they were great up front. A hard-nosed team. They had a lot of dynamic tight ends and skill players. They are a dynamic offense.”
Much like Clemson, the Nittany Lions were expected to be a playoff contender in 2025, but things didn’t go as planned.