Penn State transfer receivers hope to solve Nittany Lions’ wide-out woes in 2025
Penn State’s wide receivers had zero receptions in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame. It’s a fact that has stuck with the Nittany Lions since that playoff nail-biter, and it may have been a catalyst for an offseason that saw the team completely revamp its wide receiver room.
Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans transferred out, while Julian Fleming graduated, leaving Liam Clifford as the only remaining receiver with starting experience. The Nittany Lions compensated for these departures by bringing in Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross, who boast a combined 12 seasons of collegiate experience.
During the team’s local media day, coach James Franklin said the new faces could help “open up a lot of things” for Penn State’s offense. He added that a more productive receiver corps would make it harder for opposing teams to prepare each week compared to last year, when defenses mostly focused on stopping the run and tight end Tyler Warren.
“I think the biggest thing is, we need more playmaking at the wide receiver position for us to go where we want to go, in critical moments, in critical games,” Franklin said.
Of course, this isn’t Penn State’s first foray into the portal looking for receivers. Fleming wasn’t the playmaker many had hoped for, and Malik McClain (Florida State) and Dante Cephas (Kent State) were inconsistent despite garnering plenty of hype in 2023.
