It was no secret that Penn State was going to attack the transfer portal hard after an underwhelming performance by its wide receiver room in the College Football Playoff.ย
A 27-24 loss to Notre Dame, capped by the fact that not one wide receiver made a catch, made it clear and obvious that pass catchers would be on their way to Happy Valley.
Kyron Hudson was the first of three receivers PSU added in the transfer portal for the 2025 season. He joins holdovers Liam Clifford and Tyseer Denmark, plus Devonte Ross (Troy) and Trebor Pena (Syracuse) in a revamped WR room.
Hudson committed to Penn State on December 16, days before the Nittany Lions defeated SMU in the first round of the CFP at Beaver Stadium.ย
He should immediately become one of Drew Allarโs top targets in Andy Kotelnickiโs offense during his redshirt-senior campaign. Hudson and Allar began building chemistry during the spring and connected on a few occasions at the Blue-White Game.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 212 pounds
Hometown: Duarte, California
2024: Hudson grabbed 38 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns at USC last season. Not a volume receiver, Hudson caught three or fewer passes in six games. His best performance came in the season opener against LSU, catching five balls for a career-high 83 yards and making a highlight-reel, one-handed grab inside the red zone.
He was on the receiving end of four passes from Miller Moss for 36 yards against Penn State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 12. Hudson caught a five-yard touchdown with 5:56 to go in the fourth quarter to give USC a 30-23 lead. Penn State game back, forced overtime, and won, 33-30, with a 36-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Ryan Barker.
2023: Hudson played sparingly as a redshirt sophomore. He grabbed 17 receptions, totaling 189 yards and two touchdowns. Hudson started three of the 13 games he played in Lincoln Rileyโs offense and contributed on special teams. He blocked a punt in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, in addition to a touchdown catch.ย
2022: During his redshirt-freshman year, Hudson caught three or more passes in three games. He recorded a season-high four grabs for 23 yards and a touchdown in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. This came after catching a 17-yard pass in the Pac-12 Championship facing the Utah Utes. He closed his 14-game season with 15 catches, 152 yards, and three scores.
2021: Hudson caught two passes for four yards in his lone appearance against Cal. He redshirted the remainder of the 2021 season as a freshman.
Before Penn State: Hudson caught 72 passes for 807 yards and eight touchdowns with the Trojans before entering the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, one of the best high school football programs in the country. Hudson was named to the 2020 PrepStar Dream Team and Southern California News Group Fab 15 second team. He only played in three games during the spring, after his fall season was wiped out by the pandemic. He recorded 59 catches for 853 yards and 13 touchdowns during a breakout junior season.
A Quote from Hudson: โPenn State is just a school that everybody wants to go to, and having the opportunity to come here, itโs always been a school that I wanted to go to,โ Hudson said at spring practice this April. โSo itโs cool to be able to play here and play with my new brothers.โ
A Quote about Hudson: โHeโs such a big and physical receiverโฆ In this league thatโs so necessary,โ offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said, per to Onward State. โWith the aggressive secondaries that we play, heโs done a fantastic job of being that physical person, and again, super impressed with his football acumen.โ
