Before training camp began, Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans acknowledged the narrative that has shadowed his room for two years. At least for now, the cloud appears to be lifting.
Penn State coach James Franklin took another opportunity Tuesday to rave about his transfer receivers, notably Kyron Hudson (USC) and Trebor Pena (Syracuse). The two have been standouts of Nittany Lions training camp and, so far, have helped breathe life into a position group looking for a fresh start this season.
Franklin called Pena, a sixth-year senior, "more explosive" than he anticipated and said that Hudson, a fifth-year senior, brings size and contested-catch skills to the offense. Pena, Hudson and fellow transfer Devonte Ross (Troy) combined for 23 touchdown receptions at their previous schools last season. That's 11 more than Penn State's 2024 receivers caught combined.
“They've been great for our room,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said recently. “The one thing about all of them is, they came in and put their heads down and worked. They were not coming in entitled to anything. They earned everybody's respect, from the players’ standpoint, on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball, and the coaching staff. Those guys will put their head down and work, and they're unselfish in that sort of way.”
Franklin said Pena, who led the ACC last season in receptions, has embraced Penn State's system since arriving this summer. Notably, the 5-10, 185-pound receiver has improved his strength and speed metrics in Penn State's training program.
"And then on the field he’s just super mature, really consistent, [a] very good route runner, sudden and quick," Franklin told reporters at his weekly media availability after practice. "A lot of things you saw on tape from a production standpoint, we’ve seen it [in camp]. But I think he's gotten faster and more explosive. He doesn't say a whole lot but has fit in very well culturally."
Hudson (6-1, 212 pounds) is a different style of receiver, having showcased his physical play and contested-catch abilities in training camp. Franklin also called Hudson "more sudden than I thought he was going to be," which sharpens his routes. The two have paired together well in Penn State's offense, Franklin said.
"Pena's body type and his skill set, and Hudson's body type and his skill set, are really nice complementary pieces," Franklin said. "More than anything, they're two veteran, experienced guys with production that we expect to have big years for us."
Franklin highlighted three freshmen who have stood out in training camp, two of whom play defensive end. Yvan Kemajou, a 244-pound end who grabbed a big role in the Blue-White Game, and Chaz Coleman, who's pushing 250 pounds, are drawing attention at a position searching for depth answers.
Franklin also noted that cornerback Daryus Dixson, a spring-game standout, is making his presence felt at a deep position group. Though Dixson might need time to earn snaps at his defensive position, he'll likely win a starting role on special teams. Meanwhile, Franklin really spotlighted Coleman, the Ohio native who played one year of defense in high school and was a quarterback.
"We're all surprised," Franklin said. "... We didn’t know what we were going to get, because he only played one year of defensive end. It’s a long way from the quarterback position."
Not everything is perfect in camp, though. Franklin said that playbook installation has gone well, but players have missed some assignments along the way.
"We’ve got to play cleaner," Franklin said. "I like what we’re doing, but there’s just too many missed assignments and things like that. Bad football will get you beat long before good football will win you games. And we’ve done a good job of that, but we’ve got to get things cleaned up right now and start refining."
Penn State opens the season Aug. 30 against Nevada at Beaver Stadium. Watch Franklin's full media availability, courtesy of Blue-White Illustrated.
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