Penn State had already bolstered its receivers room before Trebor Pena entered the transfer portal but James Franklin and the coaching staff wanted more.
When a team loses a College Football Playoff semifinal by three points and no receiver catching a pass on the game is a big reason why, yeah, that team is going to want more.
Itโs easy to see why, for Penn State, more ended up being spelled Trebor.
Playing at Syracuse against Power Four competition, Pena put up 941 yards and nine touchdowns on 84 receptions in 2024 earning All-ACC status.
Those credentials were the first thing that jumped out to Franklin.
โProduction matters,โ Franklin said.
Indeed, it does.
So does experience, and Penaโs has plenty of that, which Franklin values big-time.
โHeโs also a sixth-year guy,โ
Franklin said. โI look at college football a little but like college basketball was a few years back where a winning formula includes being a mature team. Thereโs a lot of value that comes from that.โ
โThen we got a chance to get to know him, his mom โ who is awesome โ and his girlfriend. They seem like great fits here. Heโs also from the footprint (New York City), which helps.โ
Franklin also debunked a theory as to why Pena left Syracuse.
FORGET ABOUT THE PRICE TAG
Syracuse coach Fran Brown had a theory as to why Pena left.
“We paid him enough,โ Brown said. โHe was going to get paid more. There were some numbers that were asked to me that I didnโt feel I would be able to do and move on,” Brown said in an interview with ESPN Syracuse. “I treated him right, did everything that was needed, and I just said, ‘Yo, you got to go.'”
For Franklin, that doesnโt line up with Penn Stateโs experience with Pena.
โNone of the stuff that was put out publicly was true about how his transfer took place and why it took place,โ Franklin said. โNone of that was true as it relates to Penn State based on our experience. They were non-factors.โ
PENAโS STRENGTHS
So what does Pena do well?
โHe has an elite change of direction,โ Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki said. โHe has really good ball skills. He does really good things with the ball afterwards.
โWe like to be diverse with our skill players. I really appreciate how he had some of that already. Heโs used to lining up in different spots and doing a couple different things. That transition will be a little easier for him.โ
Although Pena has the stats, he also had to earn the respect of his teammates, and heโs done that by putting his head down.
โHeโs just come in and worked,โ wide receivers coach Marques Hagans said. โHeโs starting to earn the respect of his peers by how he works, how he approaches things and how he prepares. Heโs really been a good addition to the room and a great example, too.โ
Penn State opens its 2025 season Aug. 30 at 3:30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.
