Remaking the Nittany Lions’ Wide Receivers Room

Penn State coach James Franklin spent a busy few months attempting to revamp his wide receiver room. After the Nittany Lions’ 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, where his receivers combined for zero yards on five targets, the wideout corps faced plenty of scrutiny. 

Since December, Franklin has signed three transfer receivers (Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Peña) but also is looking for someone to emerge from the returning group. We continue our Penn State football position preview series with a look at the wide receivers.

Senior Kyron Hudson

Franklin’s first move in the transfer portal was to bring in the strong, physical receiver from USC. Hudson (6-1, 215 pounds) is tough to stop in single coverage, exceptional at catching 50/50 balls and difficult to displace off his routes. 

Last season Hudson recorded personal bests in yards (462), receptions (38) and yards-per-catch (12.2) with the Trojans. Despite the productivity, Hudson was just the fourth-leading receiver in USC’s offense. He transferred to Penn State to play a bigger role in the passing game. 

Hudson is more than a solid receiver. He’s also a physical wideout who is a strong blocker on the outside. Plus, he can do this.

Senior Devonte Ross

Franklin continued his wide receiver acquisition spree with Ross’ addition in December. After acquiring a big-bodied wideout in Hudson, Penn State brought in a smaller, shifty receiver in Ross. The 5-10, 170-pound Ross could be Penn State’s main downfield threat as his speed is a handful. 

The Georgia native spent three seasons at Troy before transferring. Despite recording solid production in his first two years, Ross broke through in 2024, racking up 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions. 

Those eye-catching numbers weren’t just domination against subpar opponents. Ross flashed his talent in Kinnick Stadium with a 142-yard, two-touchdown game against Iowa. Ross is a return specialist and will slot on the outside for a majority of his offensive snaps. 

Redshirt senior Trebor Peña

Franklin made his next splash in April by earning a transfer commitment from Peña, an experienced playmaker for Syracuse. Peña enters his sixth year of college football but first away from the Orange. 

Peña broke out last year, totaling 941 yards and nine touchdowns on 84 receptions. Peña benefited extensively from Syracuse’s addition of quarterback Kyle McCord, as 77.6 percent of his career yardage came last year. 

The sixth-year player is primarily a slot receiver who has a complete route tree and can do damage with his legs. Peña accumulated 72 rushing yards on 12 carries in 2024 primarily from jet sweeps. 

Redshirt senior Liam Clifford

Entering his redshirt senior season, Clifford is the veteran with a specific role. In 2025, he’ll likely slot in as the fourth wideout in the depth chart. Clifford totaled a career-high 286 yards and one touchdown last season while spending most of his time in the slot. The Ohio native appeared in all 16 games in 2024. 

Clifford is the Nittany Lions’ only returning receiver who caught more than two passes last season. He also commands a leadership role in coach Marques Hagans’ room.

Redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark

As a true freshman in 2024, Denmark appeared in four games, catching two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. The former 3-star recruit in the 2024 class was a three-time team captain for Imhotep Charter High School in Philadelphia. 

Denmark’s 15-yard touchdown via a seam route in Penn State’s 44-7 win over Maryland last year garnered attention, and he’s a player to watch in his second season. 

Redshirt junior Kaden Saunders

Saunders missed 12 games in the 2024 season due to a lower-body injury. Now entering his fourth season with Penn State, Saunders wants to contribute. 

“I just couldn’t get [my injury] right,” Saunders said in February. “I feel good now. I want to help the team in any way I can, any way they need me to. That’s in the past.”

In his three seasons at Penn State, Saunders has totaled just 77 yards on eight catches. He’s primed for a bounceback. 

Redshirt junior Anthony Ivey

Ivey enters his third year at Penn State after two quiet seasons. The Pennsylvania native recorded the only catch of his career in last year’s 56-0 blowout of Kent State. Ivey, a 4-star recruit, was a four-time all-state player in high school. 

Redshirt freshman Peter Gonzalez 

A 3-star receiver in the 2024 class, Gonzalez seeks to climb Penn State’s depth chart. He was sidelined during the 2024 season due to an injury but is poised to earn playing time with a fully healthy season. The Pittsburgh native was a three-year letterman at Central Catholic High School before choosing the Nittany Lions over Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.

Redshirt freshman Josiah Brown

A 4-star 2024 prospect, Brown enters his redshirt freshman season looking to make a name for himself. The former No. 2 player in New York played at Malverne High School, where he tallied 589 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. 

Penn State’s True Freshmen

Jeff Exinor Jr.: Ranked as a 4-star tight end in the 2025 class, Exinor is making the switch to wide receiver in college. Exinor was the No. 342 player nationally, No. 20 tight end and No. 9 athlete in Maryland according to the 247Sports Composite. 

Matt Outten: Outten flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech to Penn State in 2024. According to the 247Sports Composite, he’s rated as the No. 310 player in the country, No. 12 athlete and No. 5 player in Virginia in the 2025 class. The 4-star served as a team captain at I.C. Norcom High School. 

Lyrick Samuel: Rated as the No. 411 player, No. 57 wide receiver and No. 1 athlete in New York in the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite, Samuel (6-3.5, 180 pounds) is a tall, lanky receiver. The 4-star chose Penn State over Michigan State, Rutgers and Syracuse. 

Koby Howard: Howard, the No. 68 wide receiver and No. 62 player in Florida in the 2025 class, picked Penn State over Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. He sustained a season-ending injury in his senior year at Chaminade-Madonna High School.

Penn State 2025 Position Previews

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Tight Ends

More Penn State Football