Penn State and its fans wanted a receiver out of the transfer portal.
Well, they got one.
Monday night, Kyron Hudson, who played four seasons at USC before entering the portal earlier this month, announced that he had committed to Penn State.
๐ซถ๐พ pic.twitter.com/lzLOvss7SO
— KYRON HUDSON๐ฌ๐ง (@kyron___hudson) December 17, 2024
Hudson, a 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, is coming off his best college football season.
He ended the year with 462 yards and three touchdowns on 38 receptions, playing in a room that also featured Makai Lemon (665 yards, three touchdowns on 46 receptions) and Zachariah Branch (503 yards, one touchdown on 47 catches).
Against Penn State Oct. 12, Hudson caught for passes for 36 yards, one of them being a five-yard TD.
Penn State ended up winning that game in the Coliseum 33-30 in an overtime thriller.
Now, heโll be playing on the other side.
A POSITION OF NEED
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Jahan Dotson
Hudsonโs stats might not make him seem like a big transfer portal get for Penn State but fans who know what the recent history at receiver has been know that it is.
Here are what Penn Stateโs top receivers have done since Jahan Dotsonโ who eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2021โ played his last college game:
- 2022: Parker Washington (46 catches, 611 yards, two TD)
- 2023: KeAndre Lambert-Smith (53 catches, 673 yards, four TD)
- 2024 (so far): Harrison Wallace III (39 catches, 638 yards, four TD).
Penn Stateโs top pass-catcher this season is Tyler Warren (88 catches, 1,062 yards, six TD). But because Warren plays tight end, heโs not part of this conversation.
PSUโs receivers have made some strides this season. Three WRs have had games of 100+ yards, whereas last season, only Lambert-Smithโ who now plays for Auburnโ accomplished that feat. But considering Penn Stateโs second-leading receiver, Omari Evans has 360 yards and roughly a third of those came against a Kent Stateteam that went 0-12, itโs probably fair to say thereโs work to be done.
Getting Hudson, who visited PSU this weekend, is a big step.
MORE WORK TO BE DONE?
MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 22: Florida International University Panthers wide receiver Eric Rivers (3) scores a touchdown during the game between the Sam Houston State Bearkats and the Florida International University Panthers (FIU) on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire)
So is Penn State done bolstering its receivers room? Itโs possible. After all, last season, Penn State did get Julian Fleming in the winter portal window and didnโt do anything else to address the position.
But Penn State does have a few other options.
Malachi Fields from Virginia is a player thatโs on PSUโs radar. Eric Rivers picked up 1,172 yards and 12 touchdowns on 62 receptions for Florida International this past season, is visiting Happy Valley Dec. 19-20. He would certainly help Penn State. We shall see what happens.
Penn State is scheduled to take on SMU for its first-ever College Football Playoff game Saturday, Dec. 21 at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on TNT and HBO Max.
