Penn State’s longtime mascot is a common mountain lion, the kind that roamed the mountains near the school’s State College campus until the late 19th century. One of the Nittany Lions’ historic rivals, the Pitt Panthers, has a similar taxonomic nickname for a similar reason.

Devyn Ford spent four years at Penn State before transferring to Notre Dame in 2023. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said Nittany Lions fans "should be excited to watch him."

Penn State’s high-flying offense will have a major test on Thursday night against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl thanks in part to a former Nittany Lion, Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator Al Golden. A tight end on the Nittany Lions from 1988-91,