During Penn State’s bye week, James Franklin talks Drew Allar, transfer receivers
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Transfer receivers combined for 32 catches, 399 yards and 3 TDs so far in 2025.
- James Franklin emphasizes growth, playmaking and depth across offensive units.
The conversation about Penn State’s offense entering the season was a focused one. There was confidence in the offensive line and in the running backs, and even in the tight ends despite losing Tyler Warren. But there remained questions about the passing game — specifically the wide receivers.
The Nittany Lions were bringing in three transfer wide receivers who had varying degrees of production at their previous schools, with the clear intention of overhauling a position that struggled in 2024.
Those players — Devonte Ross, Kyron Hudson and Trebor Peña — have found success in pockets of games so far, combining for 32 receptions, 399 yards and three touchdowns through non-conference play.
So how would Penn State head coach James Franklin evaluate their play so far?
“Probably up to my expectation, with flashes of above my expectation and a few flashes below,” Franklin said Tuesday during bye week media availability. “I think each one of them has had a game or games where they’ve shown what they really can do. Our job is to help them continue in each week to get better, so that in the games that we got coming up, they can have significant roles for us.”
While none of the three have emerged as a bona fide No. 1 option for the offense, that doesn’t mean the production left behind by someone like Warren can’t be replicated.
It was always going to be difficult to replace a tight end who finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting last season, and asking a new player to do so would have been too much. Instead, this is a team that will rely on the production of the group as a whole to make up for what is lost, and Franklin laid out the kind of scenario he could see emerging for the offense to get there.
“The reality is, what we’re going to need is we’re going to need Devonte Ross to have a really good season, and to have two or three games where everybody’s talking about him, and we need Hudson to do the same thing,” Franklin said. “And what you hope is that, you have multiple games where they’re doing it together, and you have a few games where they’re doing it on their own.
“I met with a group of those guys today about not just receivers — receivers, tight ends, running backs, quarterbacks. Say you got 12 of those guys, when you count all three tight ends, two running backs, quarterbacks, the receivers that we’re talking about. If all those guys make the plays that they’re supposed to make and then if each one of them makes one special play a game where they bring something more to the table than the O-line or the scheme got them, we’re going to be in good shape.”
And while those three players are going to be a focal point for the offense moving forward, they aren’t the only receivers who could make an impact. Franklin specifically mentioned someone like Tyseer Denmark as a player who is motivated to get additional reps on game days.
And it’s not just about what he’s doing at receiver, it’s how he’s handling the games when he isn’t seeing the field as often as he’d hope to.
“[Offensive coordinator] Andy Kotelnicki talked about Tyseer after practice today,” Franklin said. “Tyseer looked like a guy who is very hungry to play, to get on the field and make a difference. And guys like that, I don’t know when it’s going to be, but his number is going get called at some point and he’s going to be ready. And then there’s other guys that are complaining that they should be playing, and their parents are sending text messages, and they’re going to get in the game and won’t be ready, and then we won’t hear anything from anybody.”
Where Drew Allar is excelling
Quarterback Drew Allar’s play has become a hot-button issue through three games, especially after the offense hit a lull against FIU and then again against Villanova.
But there are aspects to playing quarterback that go unseen that allow the team to succeed, and Franklin made note of what all goes into that for Allar, and how that’s an area he’s excelled in so far this year — but noted that there’s room for improvement in other areas too.
“I think the management,” Franklin said. “ Kotelnicki puts a ton on his plate in the run game, in the pass game, in protections, he’s done a really good job of that. ... There’s been three or four throws that we should be making, and we got to make sure that that’s happening week in and week out every single game.”
Allar’s play has been up and down at times in 2025, but he’s still been relatively productive, completing 57 of his 88 passing attempts for 626 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. But expectations are high for the quarterback who was once a five-star recruit who many were clamoring for as the starting quarterback all the way back in 2022 when veteran Sean Clifford was at the helm.
And every pass he makes will be under the microscope this year, especially those in the team’s biggest games — like the one against Oregon that is looming after the bye week.
Fortunately for him, he has a talented team to help him and his head coach believes he can make the type of plays necessary to winning at the highest level.
“Like the play that he had to Peña, he can make some throws that very few people on the planet can make,” Franklin said about Allar’s touchdown pass before halftime on Saturday. “...Through all Drew’s hard work and his God-given ability, he’s got to make four or five of those difference-making plays a game, whether it’s with his feet, or whether it’s with his mind, or whether it’s with his arm. And he is more than capable of doing that.”
Notes and observations
- The Nittany Lions were doing 1-on-1s between wide receivers and defensive backs for the last portion of practice, with mostly the team’s young players participating.
- Andy Kotelnicki was frustrated with a rep from backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who didn’t give wide receiver Koby Howard a chance to make a catch on a deep ball where he had the defensive back beat.
- Howard later won a rep that was called an offensive pass interference that seemed little questionable. He’s clearly talented, but Franklin has previously mentioned that he needs to contribute more on special teams, which is likely what’s holding him back from seeing the field more.
- Freshman wide receiver Matthew Outten continues to progress at receiver. He needed a lot of refinement as a route runner when he got to Penn State and that was clear in practices in the offseason. While he may not be where he needs to get to, he’s clearly made strides as a route runner and did a nice job of separating in 1-on-1s.
- Denmark flashed his ability to separate on the reps he got, showing the value he could have as a potential slot receiver this season. He looks like a player who can start as a veteran, with this year being important for him from a consistency standpoint.
- Grunkemeyer has been inconsistent with his ball placement and that was the case on Tuesday. He’s the backup over Jaxon Smolik right now, but it remains to be seen what the quarterback room will look like in 2026 when Allar departs.
