Penn State wrapped up a decent 13-3 record, but the WR room saw its shortcomings. The fact that the Nittany Lions recorded zero receptions in their semi-final loss to Notre Dame Irish stung deep to the Penn State loyals. And thus, the offseason saw the remaking of the wide receivers corps. Last campaign’s Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans transferred out, and Julian Flemins graduated. What was left of the 2024 WR unit was Liam Clifford. So, HC James Franklin took to the transfer portal and hauled in three incoming transfers, the freshman lot. So, is the new WR room ready for an explosive season? Drew Allar gets candid.

In December last year, the Nittany Lions welcomed Devonte Ross, Kyron Hudson to the roster, and Trebor Pena made his appearance in the following April. Are they adapting well to the offensive machinery? The O-leader is affirmative. The grind has been there since the winter. In no time, the transfers, Ross and Hudson, were able to earn the roster’s respect, with the 0-line leader impressed with their grit on the turf.

“They have the respect of the whole offense player-wise, coaches-wise, and same with the defense,” Drew Allar said on Locked on Nittany Lions. Also, Pena gelled well and adapted quickly. “…[Trebor had] little bit of a shorter window to kind of learn everything and go through the process of actually playing football in our systems.”

In last season at USC, Hudson was the team captain and concluded his season with 462 yards and three touchdowns on 38 receptions. The coaching staff at University Park was impressed with him during the game with the Trojans. Pena, on the other hand, came from The Orange, after tallying 941 yards and nine TDs and 84 receptions. Though a late transfer, his experience won him Franklin’s approval. And Devonte Ross? That former Troy weapon racked up 1,043 yards on 76 catches. Combined, all three of them have a combined 12 seasons of collegiate career.

James Franklin called the incoming crop would make it difficult for the opposing team to prepare each week last year. “Open up a lot of things” for the offense (Penn State), as he put it. “We need more playmaking at the wide receiver position for us to go where we want to go, in critical moments, in critical games,” as Franklin posed it per Centre Daily Times.

Then comes Liam Clifford and the guys we brought in from the freshman class. Koby Howard, redshirt-freshman Tyseer Denmark, among others. On Monday, the head coach highlighted the top receivers in the depth chart and named them in positional pairs. Hudson/Howard, Ross/Liam, Pena/Tyseer Denmark. Other players might make it up to the mix, but these six showed consistent results.

So, what about the game prep? Drew Allar continued. “The past month and a half, like a couple, like a week, and a half before fall camp, and then throughout fall camp, we’ve kind of been building into that game mode mindset. ….they are always asking me questions on routes, what are they thinking on certain routes, if they get a certain coverage. So I can anticipate it and throw them to a spot.” So, the prep is coming off robust. Not just that, the collective chemistry between the tight ends and the wide receivers has been great.

Coming next to tight end Khalil Dinkins and what he brings to the offense. Everyone has great respect for Khalil, and he’s a bigger role in store for him on the O-line this season, as Allar put it across. Last season, Dinkins recorded 14 catches and two touchdowns, whereas the offensive star, Tyler Warren, tallied 104 catches, eight touchdowns, and 1,233 yards. But his departure to the NFL has upped the action package for Dinkins.

Drew further added. “I think last year, he had an important role in our team, but you know, not many outsiders really looked at it like that. Like he did a great job last year in the run game for us and pass pro, and he’s going to continue to do that. This year, he’ll be a big threat in our pass game as well, and really excited about, you know, him taking the next step in his development. That set’s for the offense, but the leader himself has got a lot more reps to take, for clearly, James Franklin is not satisfied.

Drew Allar faces mounting pressures

Drew Allar is prepping for an explosive season, for he is shouldering both the offense and the weight of James Franklin’s redemption arc. The Niitany Lions posted a nice 13-3 record, a Big 10 Championship game appearance, and a playoff semifinalist. But against top opponents, they buckled hard. The losses against the Irish, Oregon, and Ohio State stung, and Franklin is fixated on creating a new Nittany Lions narrative. “If we want the narrative to change, we got an opportunity to change it,” the head coach said during the Media Days.

The pressure to do that is intense, and Franklin is still not satisfied with Allar’s game prep. “He just needs to continue to get a little bit better in every area,” the Penn State HC stated on NBC Sports. Last season, the star quarterback tallied 3,327 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. During the Orange Bowl, his final pass earned Penn State a ticket to the national title game, entering the Heisman discussions.

Franklin continued. “So you know, continue to develop as a leader, continue to develop in the run game. I thought that was a big step he took this year, going from 245 to 235 and be[ing] able to extend plays with his legs.” The message is clear. Be more explosive.