For the second offseason in a row, Penn State Football has seen the Nittany Lions’ top wide receiver enter the transfer portal during the winter transfer window.
In 2024, however, the overhaul of the wide receiver room was even deeper, with both starting wide receivers Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans entering the portal (plus reserve receivers Tyler Johnson and Mehki Flowers) and leaving State College.
On the other hand, Penn State picked up two productive receivers in the transfer portal that have joined the team ahead of winter conditioning and spring practice in USC transfer Kyron Hudson and Troy transfer Devonte Ross.
With Penn State’s wide receiver room looking quite different heading into 2025, here are a few breakout candidates for the Nittany Lions in the wide receiver room this spring.
Penn State’s Expected Starters at WR
Devonte Ross
With Wallace and Evans officially transferring out of Penn State, Troy transfer Devonte Ross should be expected to come in and start immediately for the Nittany Lions in 2025.
Ross fits the Omari Evans mold well, in that he is a speedster that can blow the top off a defense. In 2024, Ross caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Troy Trojans.
Ross caught a pass over 25 yards in seven out of his 12 games played last season, with a long catch of 98 yards on the season. One concern with Ross is his size, at only 5-foot-11 inches and 161 pounds. Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will need to find ways to get the ball to Ross without putting him in danger of a big hit over the middle of the field to ensure he stays healthy throughout the season.
Kyron Hudson
Opposite Ross, USC transfer Kyron Hudson should be expected to grab hold of another starting spot for the Nittany Lions in 2025. Hudson caught 38 passes for 462 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 for the USC Trojans.
Hudson caught a pass in each of his 12 games played last season, with three or more catches in eight out of the 12 games in 2024.
While Hudson may not have the top end speed of Ross, he thrives in catching in traffic and could be a reliable target for starting quarterback Drew Allar over the middle of the field next season.
Penn State’s Breakout Candidate Youngsters
Tyseer Denmark
Tyseer Denmark was a huge win on the recruiting trail for Penn State, with Penn State flipping Denmark from Oregon during the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Denmark appeared in four games as a true freshman, the threshold to maintain his redshirt status. Now heading into his redshirt sophomore year, Denmark is primed to breakout with more opportunities with Wallace and Evans no longer ahead of him on the depth chart. Denmark caught two passes last season for the Nittany Lions, including a game ending 15-yard touchdown against Maryland that sparked criticism by Marland Coach Mike Locksley.
In addition to competing at wide receiver for the Nittany Lions in 2025, Denmark could compete for reps as a punt returner as well. Denmark returned only one punt in 2024, however, it was a 16-yard return against Purdue that showed his potential at the position.
Lyrick Samuel
As an early enrollee from the 2025 class, Lyrick Samuel is one of the newest Nittany Lions on the roster for spring ball.
As an early enrollee, Samuel was able to take part in Penn State’s practices for the college football playoff last season. Samuel could put on a bit of weight in Penn State’s strength program, but his size is noticeable in Penn State’s wide receiver room. At 6-foot-4 inches, Samuel is the tallest wide receiver listed on Penn State’s roster heading into the 2025 season.
Samuel was the number one prospect in the state of New York in the 2025 class. With his size, Samuel projects to be a true outside receiver, which Penn State has been missing for a few years. As only a true freshman, Samuel will probably need time to adjust to the college game, especially in the weight department, but could be an intriguing player for the Nittany Lions due to his size and athleticism, with 4.5 speed coming into Penn State.
Veteran to Finally Breakout?
Kaden Saunders
We heard plenty of hype about Kaden Saunders in 2024 before he suffered a lingering injury during fall camp that held him out most of the 2024 season. The only time we saw Saunders last season was on punt return duty, almost exclusively fair catching punts to open the season.
However, now further removed from the injury, Saunders should be on the list to breakout again this spring/fall and push for a starting spot this season. In his three seasons with Penn State so far, Saunders has caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown over 19 career games.
With Penn State overhauling its wide receiver room heading into 2025, head coach James Franklin and staff are looking for starters that can raise the ceiling of the room heading into a pivotal season that the Nittany Lions will have extremely high expectations for.
The Nittany Lions will need to look for more talent at the position during the spring transfer window, but will also need someone on the current roster to step up during spring practice to feel more comfortable at the position. After Penn State’s receiver room ended the season with zero catches in Penn State’s heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
After Penn State went “all-in” this offseason to push for a Big Ten championship and a national championship in 2025, Penn State must get more out of the position to reach the Nittany Lions’ potential next season.