After a thorough victory to start the 2025 season, Penn State turns its attention to another non-conference home game against a non-power team at Beaver Stadium. This time, FIU comes to town for the second meeting ever between the two programs.

No. 2 Penn State opened the season by defeating Nevada, 46-11, last week. FIU is also 1-0 after it beat Bethune-Cookman, 42-9, to open the season. The game is scheduled to kick at noon ET, and it will be televised on BTN. The Nittany Lions were favored by 41.5 points earlier this week.

During his weekly news conference Monday, Penn State coach James Franklin took the time to highlight eight players from the FIU roster who contribute to the roster in all three phases of the game. Every week, Franklin breaks out any number of opposing players, and it’s usually worth taking a closer look at those players to get familiar with upcoming opponents.

FIU is led by coach Willie Simmons, who is in his first season leading the program. Simmons, 44, spent last season working for former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz at Duke as the running backs coach. He made that move after a successful six-year run at Florida A&M that culminated with a 12-1 record and win in the Celebration Bowl in 2023.

“I’ve known Coach Simmons for a long time,” Franklin said. “Got a ton of respect for him and the program. Obviously he was at Duke most recently with Manny. Is going to do a really good job. From Florida originally. Is a really good fit. Had been the head coach at Florida A&M before going with Manny to Duke and then taking over the FIU program.”

Read on to learn more about key players on the FIU roster who will suit up against Penn State on Saturday.

QB KEYONE JENKINS

FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins entered the season with high expectations after he was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in the preseason, and he opened the 2025 season by completing 18 of 30 passes for 187 yards and scoring on two short touchdown runs in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman. Jenkins, a junior, is a local who prepped at notable power Miami Central, and he showcased improvement his sophomore season by completing nearly 62% of his passes and throwing for 2,557 yards and 22 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Jenkins is listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds, and he wears No. 1. Penn State quarterbacks Jaxon Smolik and Jack Lambert were wearing No. 1 with the scout team on Wednesday evening.

RB KEJON OWENS

Running back Kejon Owens carried the load for FIU against Bethune-Cookman with 11 carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a physical presence at 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, and he’s a veteran in his fifth season of college football. In 2023 and 2024 combined, Owens, another Miami Central alum, rushed for 845 yards on 4.91 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns. He was named preseason All-Conference USA by Phil Steele.

“They’re expecting big things from him this year,” Franklin said.

Owens wears No. 5. During practice Wednesday evening, Penn State running back Corey Smith was in No. 5 with the scout team.

DL KEEGAN DAVIS

Defensive lineman Keegan Davis is another FIU veteran who is in his fifth season with the program. He had 30 tackles, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 12 games last season. Athlon Sports named All-Conference USA third team ahead of the 2025 season.

Davis is listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds on the FIU roster, and he wears No. 44.

DL KENTON SIMMONS

Defensive lineman Kenton Simmons joined FIU this offseason after spending the past two seasons at Butler (Kan.) Community College. The Jackson, Miss., native went to high school in Lawrence, Kan., before taking the junior college route. In two seasons at Butler, Simmons had 43 tackles, and he had six sacks in 10 games last season.

Conference USA placed Simmons on its 2025 preseason watch list. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, and he wears No. 25 for the Panthers.

LB JOHNNY CHANEY JR.

Linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. is on the well-traveled side. After playing for Simmons for three seasons at Florida A&M, Chaney transferred to Colorado in 2024 to play for Deion Sanders. But after appearing in four games — and playing only one defensive snap — Chaney elected to sit out to preserve his redshirt and enter the NCAA Transfer Portal to play his fifth season of college football elsewhere.

Chaney reunited with Simmons at FIU, where he should play a big role. Both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports put Chaney on the preseason All-Conference USA fourth team.

“We’ve been impressed with linebacker No. 0, Johnny Chaney,” Franklin said.

In his last full-time action in 2023, Chaney recorded 73 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks at Florida A&M. Chaney wears No. 0, and he’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds.

DB BRIAN BLADES II

Redshirt senior Brian Blades II enters his fifth season at FIU as the program’s top cover corner. He earned preseason All-Conference USA first-team recognition from Athlon Sports and preseason second-team honors from Phil Steele. Hero Sports put Blades on its Group of Five All-America second team, and he’s on watch lists from Conference USA and the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Blades had 29 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception (returned for a touchdown) and six passes defended for the Panthers last season.

Blades is listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, and he wears No. 2. He attended powerhouse Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage.

“I think everybody knows that name,” Franklin said. “Very familiar and legendary family in the Fort Lauderdale area, which is where he is from.”

Brian Blades played 11 years for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL after a college career at Miami where he won two national championships. Brian Blades II’s uncles, Bennie Blades and Al Blades, also played at Miami and saw time in the NFL.

KR C’QUAN JNOPIERRE

C’Quan Jnopierre (pronounced Suh-quan John-Pierre) began his career at St. Thomas University, an NAIA school in Miami Gardens, Fla., before transferring to FIU in 2024. The redshirt senior is listed as a wide receiver on the roster, but he’s primarily played kick returner, and he was named the Conference USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year. Athlon Sports and Phil Steele also named him a preseason first-team all-conference selection.

Last season, Jnopierre earned All-Conference USA second team as a kick returner. He averaged 28.3 yards per return on 538 attempts. In last week’s win over Bethune-Cookman, he averaged 25.8 yards on four kick returns.

He caught 10 passes for 71 yards last season. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, and he wears No. 3. He had 109 catches for 1,609 yards and 12 touchdowns in his NAIA career.

P TREY WILHOIT

Tallahassee, Fla., native Trey Wilhoit has had a bit of an odyssey in his football career that features stops all over the country. He initially attended Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, where he ranked first in the NJCAA in punting. Then, he transferred to Eastern Illinois, where he was named a third-team All-American by Stats Perform and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team honors. He was a semifinalist for FCS Punter of the Year.

Wilhoit returned to his hometown in 2022 to punt for Simmons at Florida A&M, and he earned an assortment of FCS All-America and All-SWAC recognition during his two seasons. He reunited with Simmons at FIU this season. He was named to the 2025 Ray Guy Award Watch List and earned preseason All-Conference USA second-team honors from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele.

Wilhoit wears No. 6.

Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for Lions247 and 247Sports. He can be reached at daniel.gallen@cbsinteractive.com. Follow Daniel on X at @danieljtgallen, Instagram at @bydanieljtgallen and Bluesky at @danieljtgallen.bsky.social.