Penn State Football: Projecting Nittany Lions’ New-Look WR Starting Lineup
Penn State Football is still over 4.5 months from officially taking the field for the first time in the 2025 season against Nevada on August 30. However, it’s never too early to take a stab at projecting starting players for next season.
At one of the most intriguing positions on the roster, wide receiver, Penn State has a complete reset on its hands from where the position room was last season.
The Nittany Lions took advantage of the winter transfer window to bring in two quality transfers that had success at other programs last season in USC transfer Kyron Hudson and Troy transfer Devonte Ross.
However, after Penn State’s heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl ended without a single catch from a Nittany Lions’ wide receiver, both starting wide receivers Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans entered the transfer portal and left Happy Valley.
With an overhaul of talent and some up-and-coming players developing during the offseason, here is an early projection of where Penn State will start at wide receiver next fall.
Devonte Ross
At this point, I think it is safe to pencil in Troy transfer Devonte Ross into a starting position next fall for the Nittany Lions.
Ross was one of the most productive receivers in the nation last season with Troy, catching 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ross’ 11 touchdown receptions led the Sun Belt Conference in 2024. Heading into the offseason, Ross’ size is a bit of a concern at only 5-foot-11 inches, 161 pounds, however, Penn State fans saw how a player can be effective even at that size in the Big Ten.
In the Big Ten championship game last season, Oregon’s Tez Johnson torched the Nittany Lions for 11 catches, 181 yards, and a touchdown at a smaller size than Ross.
Against the Hawkeyes last season, Ross caught five passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, further supporting that his size may not be as much of an issue as some may think.
Kyron Hudson
Penn State’s other transfer wide receiver, Kyron Hudson, should also pencil into the starting lineup at this point.
In 2024, Hudson caught more than twice as many passes as any wide receiver left on Penn State’s roster from last season.
Hudson recorded 38 catches for 462 yards and three touchdowns in the 2024 season for the USC Trojans before transferring to Penn State this offseason.
One of the best stats for Penn State fans, however, is that according to PFF, Hudson did not have a dropped pass in 2024. Heading into the 2025 season, Hudson’s experience and surehandedness should earn him a starting spot opposite Ross for the Nittany Lions as the season begins.
Liam Clifford
I know, I know.
Penn State probably has plenty of more athletic or higher potential wide receivers on the roster heading into 2025. Some of these wide receivers may (or perhaps should) pass up Clifford on the depth chart during the season next year.
However, as I try to project the game-one starting lineup for the Nittany Lions, its hard to ignore Liam Clifford’s experience heading into his fourth season on campus. Clifford has the most returning production of any receiver in Penn State’s receiver room, with 39 career catches for 505 yards and a touchdown over 40 career games.
Last season, Clifford recorded the third most receiving yards behind Wallace and Evans out of the Penn State wide receiver room. Heading into next season, I could see Clifford holding down the third receiver slot until one of the younger players like Tyseer Denmark steps up or Kaden Saunders shakes off the rust from his 2024 season-ending injury.
There is plenty to sort out in the Penn State receiver room heading into 2025.
With quarterback Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen all returning in 2025, the offense will have plenty of weapons.
However, without consistent play out of the wide receiver room, the Penn State offense will never live up to its potential.
If Penn State wants to avoid another season-ending disaster game like the Orange Bowl, Penn State will need to hope that multiple wide receivers on the roster take huge steps forward this offseason.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
- Penn State’s Breakout Stars to Watch at WR in 2025
- Young Players With Most to Gain During Nittany Lions’ Spring Practices
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