Penn State is looking in the spring transfer portal for wide receiver help. As athletic director Pat Kraft bluntly predicted a couple months ago, that’s not a secret.
Penn State reportedly hosted Syracuse wideout Trebor Pena over the weekend. James Franklin and his staff are pursuing other receiving options, as well. All in an effort to surround Drew Allar with the best possible talent ahead of a highly-anticipated 2025 season.
So what does Allar think of all this?
Allar is entering his fourth and final year at Penn State and his third season as the starter. He projects as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL draft class. So surely he plays a notable role in portal recruiting — in selling wide receivers to come to Penn State, catch passes from him and compete for Big Ten and national championships.
But Allar is keeping that aspect of his job behind closed doors. Allar met with reporters Wednesday and was asked about his role and pitch to portal receivers. He smiled before saying: “I don’t think I’m allowed to dive into that.”
Instead, Allar took the question as an opportunity to highlight who the Nittany Lions have in the Lasch Building right now — not who might be joining in the near future.
“That receiving room has really taken a step forward,” Allar said. “… I give a lot of credit to Coach (Andy Kotelnicki), Coach (Marques) Hagans and Coach Franklin for providing that room with a lot of opportunity and giving them chances to improve themselves and also prove themselves throughout spring so far. They’ve taken a huge step forward. So I’m really excited about that room and where they’re at right now and where I see them going.”
Allar complimented the two receivers Penn State added in the winter portal: Troy’s Devonte Ross and USC’s Kyron Hudson. He called them “really good additions” not only as players, but also as cultural fits in the program. Ross and Hudson have been with the team since January and are competing in spring camp, which wraps up with Saturday’s Blue-White game.
Ross and Hudson joined a receiver room under the microscope. The lack of separation, explosiveness and production at that position has been a problem for Penn State over the last two seasons. That’s why Ross and Hudson were brought in. And that’s why Kraft was so forthright in February regarding the Nittany Lions’ spring portal plans.
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The spring portal window opened last Monday and will stay open for undergraduate entrants until Friday. Graduate students can enter at any time. It’s a wild time for the sport, but it’s also the last opportunity for Franklin to strengthen his team before the 2025 season kicks off.
The portal looming at the start of spring ball and now running concurrently with Penn State’s camp had to light a fire under Penn State’s receivers in the building. Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans left via the winter portal. All-world Tyler Warren is off to the 2025 NFL draft. There are targets to be had. And if you don’t claim them, someone else will.
Ross and Hudson are expected to become top targets for Allar. Hudson, a 6-foot-1, 212-pound veteran, can go up and make contested catches. Ross, a 5-10, 170-pounder who racked up 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns at Troy last year, has speed to burn. Allar said: “When you get the ball in Devonte’s hands, he can make a lot of guys miss, which we need.”
But it won’t be all on Ross and Hudson. Allar shouted out veterans Kaden Saunders, Liam Clifford and Anthony Ivey, who have been with the program for quite some time but haven’t been game-breakers in the past. He complimented speedy freshman Koby Howard when asked about the early enrollee. Second-year wideout Tyseer Denmark is an option, too.
There’s still work to be done in the spring portal for Franklin and his staff. In an ideal world, the receiver room isn’t a finished product. But Allar is pleased with what he’s seen this spring.
“I’m really excited about where that room’s at,” Allar reiterated, “and where we’re going to be going into the summer.”