Transfer WR Trebor Pena explains why he chose Penn State

Trebor Pena described his brief recruitment as “pretty stressful.” Such is life in the transfer portal.

Pena, the former Syracuse wide receiver, fielded calls from coaches across the country over the course of 10 days in April. By that point, most rosters were set. But some of the biggest teams in the sport, Penn State included, were looking to add one final, significant piece.

Pena was trying to sift through his options. The All-ACC receiver was scheduled to visit Miami, USC and UCLA after entering the portal April 15. But after making the trip to Penn State, he canceled those visits. James Franklin made it clear to Pena that he was a priority.

“He sat me down and told me, ‘I don’t want you to go anywhere else,’” Pena recalled at Saturday’s team media day. “‘I want you to be a Nittany Lion.’”

Hours before the Blue-White game April 26, Franklin’s wish came true when Pena committed to the Nittany Lions. He traveled to Happy Valley to be on the sideline for the spring game. He interacted with fans who already knew who he was. Feeling “embraced” by the community, Pena walked off the Beaver Stadium field with a pep in his step.

Now, Pena is less than a month away from suiting up for his first game at Beaver Stadium. Fall camp is underway, and Pena is a key figure as the Nittany Lions prepare for a highly anticipated season, one they hope ends with the program’s first national title since 1986.

If Penn State lives up to those sky-high expectations, Pena figures to be a big part of it. That’s why he was brought in — to help elevate quarterback Drew Allar and a passing offense that was hampered last year by a lack of playmaking at the wide receiver position.

The Nittany Lions’ biggest problem was obvious on the biggest stage last season. In the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame, Penn State had zero catches from its wide receivers. Tyler Warren, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen could only do so much. The dream season ended with Allar and his teammates in tears, frustrated by an opportunity lost.

Franklin entered the offseason with the intent to not let something like that — a goose egg from the wideouts, a position that held them back in 2023, too — happen again. Several receivers entered the portal, and the Nittany Lions targeted replacements in a total reset.

Devonte Ross, a 1,000-yard receiver from Troy, and Kyron Hudson, an experienced, big-bodied target from USC, joined in the winter portal window. But as athletic director Pat Kraft said plainly in February, that wasn’t enough. Penn State still needed another receiver.

So, the pursuit of Pena wasn’t a surprise. As soon as the New Jersey native entered the portal, Penn State was on him. Pena was coming off a stellar season — 84 catches, 941 yards and nine touchdowns — in Syracuse’s pass-happy offense. Everyone in the Lasch Building knew he could do for Allar what he did for Kyle McCord: get open and move the chains.

Pena said Allar, now a third-year starter and one of the best quarterbacks in college football, was a “very important piece” of his decision-making process. The two had a conversation early in his portal recruitment, and Pena came away impressed.

“I got to talk to Drew on the phone and see what he was about and how much he loves the game,” Pena said. “I believe in him.”

Another big piece to Pena’s portal puzzle was his visit to Penn State. He watched practice and kept a close eye on Franklin, taking note of how he “carries the team.”

“I just felt like it was the right spot for me,” Pena said. “I didn’t think it was much of a decision.”

It was a big decision for Penn State, though. Pena’s commitment was viewed as one of the biggest wins of the college football offseason — and certainly through the lens of what held Penn State back last year and where the Nittany Lions are looking to go in 2025.

There’s still work to be done, of course. But Pena is doing his part to get acclimated.

After a summer of throwing together on their own time, Pena is locker neighbors with Allar for training camp. The two have “little conversations” every day outside of practice — conversations Pena believes “go a long way.”

Pena has also impressed the coaching staff in his short time on campus. Franklin spoke highly of him Saturday, and wide receivers coach Marques Hagans said Pena, a redshirt senior in his final season, “sets the example” for Penn State’s other receivers.

“He’s a pro,” Hagans said. “He shows up ready to work. He’s always prepared. He doesn’t say much, but you know exactly what you’re going to get from him every day. … I’m glad we got him.”

So are Franklin, Allar and others — and Pena is happy to be here.

Note: Singleton and Allen earned spots on the Doak Walker Award watch list. Semifinalists and finalists for the nation’s top running back award will be announced in November, and the award will be given in mid-December. Penn State was one of 28 schools to land multiple candidates on the watch list.