Penn State’s 2024 season ended in heartbreak, as the Nittany Lions lost on a last-second field goal to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
Entering 2025, Penn State is aiming to be even better than it was a year ago, and one analyst is pointing to a key area of the roster that head coach James Franklin has upgraded. Can the Nittany Lions finally hoist the golden trophy?
James Franklin’s Key Upgrade Could Unlock QB Drew Allar and the Penn State Offense
The Nittany Lions’ offense was highly productive in 2024, especially on the ground. With both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen rushing for over 1,000 yards, Penn State finished the season ranked No. 17 in the nation in rushing yards per game.
However, the passing game lagged behind, particularly at the wide receiver position. No Penn State wideout recorded more than 50 catches or 800 receiving yards during the season.
As CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson points out, Franklin, who began his career as a wide receiver coach, prioritized upgrading that group heading into 2025, targeting the transfer portal to bolster the receiving corps.
“From me, what was holding Penn State back last year was the wide receiver core, which to me is a little wild because James Franklin is a wide receiver coach by trade,” Johnson said. He later added, “What they did? They went in the portal.”
Johnson isn’t wrong. The Nittany Lions made significant upgrades at wide receiver through the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in three key additions.
They landed Devonte Ross, who spent the last three seasons at Troy. Ross is coming off a standout 2024 campaign, posting 1,043 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
They also brought in Trebor Peña from Syracuse. Pena had an excellent 2024 season with the Orange, hauling in 84 catches for 941 yards and nine touchdowns.
🚨 TOUCHDOWN 🚨
McCord to Pena to cap off the opening drive of the game!
📺 ACCN pic.twitter.com/9SeRO42WXW
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) September 7, 2024
Lastly, Penn State added Kyron Hudson from USC. While he played a backup role for the Trojans last season, he still made an impact with 38 receptions for 462 yards and three scores.
Not only will these additions bring much-needed talent to the wide receiver room, but as Johnson highlights, they’ll also provide critical support for Drew Allar and help unlock the full potential of Penn State’s offense in 2025.
“For me, Penn State, you help Drew Allar out as a quarterback with better wide receivers,” Johsnson said. “We know what they have with Kaytron Allen and Nick Singelton at running back. I think this offense is going to be humming for Penn State.”
Allar is already one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and despite limited production from his receivers last year, he still delivered in 2024 with 3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions.
With the upgraded receiving corps, there’s a strong chance Allar’s numbers take a leap in 2025. If the passing game can catch up to Penn State’s dominant ground attack, this offense has the potential to be one of the nation’s most explosive this season.
