Penn State made a massive transfer portal addition this past weekend as they were looking to replace their leading receiver from last year in Tyler Warren. The Nittany Lions turned to Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena as the new potential top target. It could be the move that bolsters their national championship hopes.
BREAKING: Syracuse All-ACC transfer WR Trebor Pena has officially Committed to Penn State, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 26, 2025
He totaled 84 catches for 941 Yards & 9 TDs last season
Was one of the Top WRs to enter the Portal this Springhttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/1lVE10PM9I
Pena is also another weapon for Drew Allar, who returned to State College for another season. It was a massive pickup for James Franklin and Penn State. Warren was the top target last year and the only player on the team with more than 800 receiving yards. Though Warren was a tight end, he was the go-to target for Allar.
Does new Penn State transfer addition boost Nittany Lions national championship odds?
While Allar did throw for over 3,300 yards last season, it was the Nittany Lions’ running game that was at the forefront. Both Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will be back next year and they both ran for over 1,000 yards last year.
The Nittany Lions will probably still be a run-centric team. But adding Pena, it could change up their ability to be more of a threat in the passing game. That’s what makes the addition big is Penn State can tease being more of a passing team.
With Kyle McCord as his quarterback last season, Pena amassed 941 yards on 84 catches. He also had nine touchdown catches. No receiver had more than eight on the Nittany Lions last season. It’s a massive pick-up from that standpoint.
I’m not sure how much better this makes Penn State or how much closer they get to winning a national championship. Though they did add a receiver, it was the tight end position that elevated the passing game last year.
Warren had the most receptions on the team with 100 and no other receiver had more than 46. If this offense wants to improve, Allar has to find a way to get the ball to his receivers next season. His security blanket is gone and the run game will only go so far.
Pena is a step in the right direction, but until Allar improves on finding his outside targets, bringing Pena in is more like a smoke screen than a significant addition.