Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
1 4 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Point – Counterpoint Sure-Handed Kyron Hudson Will Grab First Place Greg Pickel: The additions that Penn State made at wide receiver in the portal paid off in the team's first three games. The Nittany Lions brought in three seniors during the offsea- son, and all have made an impact. USC transfer Kyron Hudson looks to be a reliable target for senior quarterback Drew Al- lar. Troy transfer Devonte Ross has shown he can be a big- play threat now that he's on his way back from an injury that slowed him down in preseason camp. And Syracuse transfer Trebor Peña works the slot very well. When it comes to projecting who will lead the Nittany Lions in receptions this season, it seems safe to say that one of those players will pace the team, rather than one of the returning wideouts, a freshman or a tight end. Ross, who caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards in his final season at Troy, worked up to full speed between Games 1 and 2, which put him behind his fellow newcomers on the stat sheet after three weeks. Will he catch them? I think there's a chance. Nevertheless, I'm siding with Hudson here. A January ar- rival, he led the receivers through position drills all spring and summer. The redshirt senior carries himself like a pro, and he seemingly has a great relationship with Allar. After catching 38 passes for 462 yards with the Trojans last fall, he came to PSU seeking a better opportunity. He's going to get it. When you combine his maturity with the fact that he can make contested catches and run himself open, it seems clear that the ball will be coming his way a lot this fall. Hudson emerged from the nonconference season with 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. Here's betting he'll remain on top of the stat sheet at the end of the campaign. There's A Reason The Lions Prioritized Trebor Peña Ryan Snyder: Penn State's depth at tight end this year makes it hard for me to pick someone like sophomore Luke Reynolds or redshirt senior Khalil Dinkins. Reynolds did have 7 receptions on 9 targets against Florida International, but I still believe players like redshirt sophomore Andrew Rappleyea will eat into the over- all tight end snaps as the season progresses. Rappleyea missed nearly all of the 2024 season with an injury and dropped off a lot of people's radar screens, but he will be a factor going forward. When you add in the fact that Penn State worked hard to land super senior Trebor Peña in the spring, I'll lean in his direction. The Lions knew they needed more help in the receiver corps, and they made a bold move by securing Peña, the most coveted pass- catcher available in the spring transfer window after an All-ACC career at Syracuse. Before the season, I probably would have selected redshirt se- nior Kyron Hudson to lead the receiver corps following his trans- fer from USC. Hudson is going to get his opportunities, that's very clear. But after watching Penn State's first few games, I think Peña's ability to play in the slot should earn him more targets by the time it's all said and done. I like Hudson's contested-catch ability, but Peña excels at running shorter, quicker routes — the kind of routes that lead to more targets and catches. It's also worth mentioning that Peña has already proven he can handle a heavy workload. He totaled 84 receptions on 108 targets for the Orange last season. It was the most catches by any wideout in the ACC, and those receptions yielded 941 yards and 9 touchdowns. After catching 13 passes for 166 yards and 1 touchdown in PSU's nonconference season, he's got an excellent chance to make a big impact this fall. Who Will Lead Penn State In Receptions In 2025? Hudson displayed an ability to make contested catches in his first three games at PSU. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATES ATHLETICS Peña came to Penn State in the spring after leading the ACC with 84 receptions last fall. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATES ATHLETICS