In transfer portal news, Penn State is hosting a 1,000-yard receiver this week.
Sean Fitz of Blue-White Illustrated reported Thursday afternoon that Devonte Ross, formerly of Troy, is on campus starting Thursday.
Penn State will host another wide receiver in the Transfer Portal beginning on Thursday.
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Ross, a 5-foot-11, 161-pounder, had 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 catches in 2024.
He has one season of eligibility remaining, and Penn State would like it if he spent that season in Happy Valley. Ross has been getting playing time since his true freshman season of 2022, and has played 39 games during his college career. It’s hard to tell how Ross’ success would translate to the Big Ten but Penn State does indeed need receivers.
REINFORCEMENTS ARE NEEDED
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Jahan Dotson
Fans who know what the recent history at receiver has been know Penn State needs help.
Here are what Penn State’s top receivers have done since Jahan Dotson— who eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2021– 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 State’s top pass-catcher this season is Tyler Warren (88 catches, 1,062 yards, six TD). But because Warren plays tight end, he’s not part of this conversation.
PSU’s receivers have made some strides this season. Three WRs have had games of 100+ yards, whereas last season, only Lambert-Smith— who now plays for Auburn— accomplished that feat. But considering Penn State’s second-leading receiver, Omari Evans has 360 yards and roughly a third of those came against a Kent Stateteam that went 0-12, it’s probably fair to say there’s work to be done.
Getting Kyron Hudson from USC was a big step.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 30: USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) reacts after catching a pass for a first down during a college football game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish played on November 30, 2024 at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)
Penn State and its fans wanted at least one receiver out of the transfer portal.
Well, they got one.
Monday night, Hudson, who played four seasons at USC before entering the portal earlier this month, announced that he had committed to Penn State.
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, he’ll be playing on the other side.
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.
