Despite the team never being ranked , several players earned national and conference recognition , headlined by wide receiver Allen Robinson , who was named the Big Ten Conference Receiver of the Year and earned first team all-conference and All-American honors before subsequently announcing he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft . Senior John Urschel , an offensive guard , won the William V. Campbell Trophy — sometimes referred to as the " academic Heisman " . Hackenberg was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year . Additionally , backup quarterback Tyler Ferguson , who lost the preseason quarterback competition to Hackenberg , announced his intent to transfer . Soon after the season , two coaches — Ron Vanderlinden and Charlie Fisher — left Penn State for undisclosed reasons , though there was speculation that O'Brien forced them out . A few weeks later , O'Brien accepted the head coaching position with the Houston Texans , leaving the Nittany Lions after two seasons . Early in 2014 , the Nittany Lions hired James Franklin to replace O'Brien as head coach for the 2014 season
William V. Campbell Trophy
William V. Campbell Trophy
2013 Penn State Nittany Lions football team