Devonte Ross shot out of a cannon. By the time the ball was in his hands, he’d created about five feet of separation from his opposing cornerback. Kyron Hudson followed Ross on the opposite side of the field. “OK, Kyron!” a coach blurted out as Hudson ran a sharp route.
On Tuesday, the first day of Penn State football spring practice, all eyes were on Penn State’s two transfer receivers.
Ross and Hudson are under the microscope. A promising spring could solidify their roles atop a wide receiver corps attempting to break out from the shell of underachievement. The opposite could result in the Nittany Lions turning once again to the portal, when it opens in April, for at least another pass-catching weapon. The next month will be crucial in defining their reliability.
“In terms of their attitude, in terms of their work ethic, in terms of their demeanor, in terms of their fit in our locker room, all those things have been, have been really good,” James Franklin said Tuesday. “… It’s been interesting to watch those guys grow. They’ve been awesome. And I know they’ve been a hit with their teammates in terms of how they’ve been in the locker room.”
The winter can only say so much about the viability of new additions. Sure, the grueling morning workouts can showcase poise and work ethic, but it’s not until the spring that players like Ross and Hudson will truly have a chance to prove themselves. But early indicators (i.e. athletic director Pat Kraft) appear to suggest that the program already believes more help is needed.
“We all know we need wide receiver help, so we gotta go find one,” Kraft told reporters on Feb. 24. “I think we have some really good ones in the building, but everyone knows. Like, it’s not a secret.”
The heat surrounding Ross and Hudson was boosted before their first practice as Nittany Lions. In fact, the pressure was on the moment they announced their transfers from Troy (Ross) and USC (Hudson). Penn State has had a wide receiver problem for two seasons now, an issue that culminated in a historically dull performance from the position group in January’s Orange Bowl.
In that game, a 27-24 loss to Notre Dame, quarterback Drew Allar failed to complete a single pass to a wide receiver. All the talk from Franklin and various players that Marques Hagans’ group had improved following an equally disappointing 2023 season went out the door. Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, the team’s two leading wide receivers, ultimately transferred after the defeat.
Ross and Hudson were called on to become their successors, two missing puzzle pieces for a program with national title aspirations. Hudson has already had his go in the Big Ten. Franklin should know just about what he’s getting in the former Trojan. But Ross, the Sun Belt superstar who accumulated 1,000 receiving yards last season, carries some intriguing upside.
“In some ways, I would say recruiting guys like Ross out of Troy and schools like that, a lot of times those are exciting, because — no knock on any other school or any other place — we just have a little bit more resources,” Franklin said, “so those guys have a chance to develop a little bit more than that when you go get a guy from from a similar type program.”
Ross, in a small dose, has already proved himself against a top Big Ten defense. He hauled in 142 receiving yards, two touchdowns and returned a punt for a score in Troy’s 38-21 loss at Iowa on Sept. 14. The Hawkeyes finished the year ranked No. 11 nationally in total defense, and Ross gave them trouble. That performance primarily sparked Franklin’s interest.
“For him to do it against that type of opponent on that stage gave me a lot of confidence that that could translate to us,” Franklin said. “So, I think that game carried a lot of weight with us, again, specifically because we just have so much respect for (what Iowa does) on special teams and what they do on defense. And he had a ton of production in that game.”
Ross, 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, has a short stature, but his speed could prove dividends. Hudson, at 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, is more physically built for Big Ten competition. His size should allow him to move to various spots along the line of scrimmage, and make plays on the ball that the Nittany Lions have lacked from wide receivers in each of the past two years.
“Obviously, he made some big-time plays. Everybody saw the huge catch he made against LSU, the one-hand catch. So he’s done it at this level before,” Franklin said. “And obviously I think there’s also an aspect when guys know it’s their last year, I think there’s a motivation that comes along with that, as well.”
This spring will serve as the first chapter for a program with a legitimate opportunity to claim a national championship. But, most of all, this spring will serve as a tryout for Penn State’s wide receivers, a new-look group attempting to flip the narrative from laughing stock to dominant presence. Ross and Hudson have everyone’s attention, and for good reason.
