STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s 2025 spring camp is in the books after the Blue-White game delivered a few offensive standouts on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
In reality, the biggest piece of news came before the scrimmage kicked off. Syracuse’s Trebor Pena, arguably the top wide receiver in the spring transfer portal, committed to James Franklin’s program. Pena’s decision is massive for Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions as they enter the summer with national championship aspirations.
Pena was on the sidelines Saturday, watching as Allar and his new teammates went to work in the Blue-White game. The scrimmage, a mixture of 7-on-7 work, thud tackling sessions and live 11-on-11, wasn’t televised. But it still served as an opportunity for players to shine.
With Pena in the fold, Penn State added three portal receivers this offseason. Pena joins Troy’s Devonte Ross and Southern Cal’s Kyron Hudson, who have been with the team since January.
Penn State did not keep official stats, so it’s difficult to contextualize their production Saturday. But Ross’ speed showed up. He beat second-year cornerback Kenny Woseley on a deep ball during 7-on-7 work; Allar heaved it 60 yards when a 58-yard throw would’ve connected. The former Troy standout had a few catch-and-run chances. Ross also took a jet sweep for a 10-yard gain. Ross was running free on most of his routes thanks in large part to what he was doing off the line of scrimmage. He’s a chess piece offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki can use all over the field.
Hudson, meanwhile, plays bigger than he is — and he’s built at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds. The fifth-year target boxed out freshman Daryus Dixon for a sideline snag. He also found space over the middle and bounced off a tackle attempt as he galloped through the defense.
The White team featured a lot of freshmen, so that’s something to keep in mind. Ross and Hudson — and Allar throwing them darts — are experienced players. They should be beating the younger guys. But how they were used was worth noting.
True freshman receiver Lyrick Samuel, an early enrollee from New York, didn’t come in with much fanfare. But the coaching staff was pleased with Samuel throughout spring camp. And he showed why Saturday.
The highlight of the day — and the play that drew the loudest applause from the thousands in attendance — was Samuel’s 40-yard touchdown catch. It was a nice throw by Jaxon Smolik, on the run and off his back foot. But it was also a great job by Samuel to get behind the defense.
Samuel made a couple of other plays, including a button-hook catch and go, turning and getting upfield. It wasn’t a touchdown, but it was a moment for the 6-4 target.
Samuel faces an uphill climb to a significant role. Pena, Ross and Hudson came in. Liam Clifford and Kaden Saunders came back. Second-year Tyseer Denmark is as advertised, finding a rhythm and hauling in a 30-yard gain Saturday. So there are other options at receiver. But if you see Samuel on the field in the fall, don’t be totally surprised.
Backup QB battle continues
The backup quarterback battle is going to drag into training camp and maybe even early part of the season. Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik both played well for the White team opposite Allar.
Grunkemeyer, the redshirt freshman, took the White offense’s opening series. He and Smolik, the redshirt sophomore, alternated throughout the afternoon.
Grunkemeyer, the highly touted 2024 signee, completed a beautifully layered pass through zone coverage to Denmark. He fit that tight button-hook into Samuel. And Grunkemeyer moved up in the pocket well, having the awareness to avoid the rush on a short completion to running back Corey Smith and scrambling well.
Smolik was equally impressive — maybe even more impressive given the circumstances. Smolik missed all of the 2024 season with an injury suffered around this time last year. That’s why he wasn’t in contention with Grunkemeyer to back up Allar when Beau Pribula entered the portal before the College Football Playoff.
But Smolik had the 40-yard, off-balance touchdown to Samuel. He got in a rhythm early and even scrambled for a 20-yard gain. Franklin said a few weeks ago Smolik didn’t have any rust to knock off after the injury, and it showed.