Now that Drew Allar has committed to playing his senior season at Penn State, adding pass catchers for the 2025 Heisman hopeful quarterback has become James Franklin’s No. 1 priority, outside of beating SMU in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff of course. Franklin landed USC transfer Kyron Hudson, but one receiver won’t be enough, and with many of the country’s top Power 4 receivers already eliminating the Nittany Lions from their group of finalists, Franklin has had to turn to Group of 5 stars. Though, even one of his top targets from the MAC has already found a home.
On Friday night, heading into the weekend of his scheduled visit to Happy Valley, Miami (OH) transfer Reggie Virgil instead chose the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Head coach Joey McGuire needed to replace former five-star Micah Hudson, who entered the portal after his freshman season in Lubbock, and likely, outbid Franklin. At that point, the uncertainty around Penn State’s future at quarterback could have also played a role in Virgil’s decision, but with Allar committed to returning for another year in Happy Valley on Monday, Franklin was able to pivot to Hudson, and hopefully others.
Hudson will be an impactful addition for Andy Kotelnicki’s system and his commitment eases the pressure on Franklin to deliver Allar more talented targets. But one transfer portal wide receiver addition won’t be enough for an offense that was lacking playmakers in the passing game and is losing Tyler Warren to the NFL after a top-ten Heisman Trophy finish for the tight end.
Virgil and FIU transfer Eric Rivers were Franklin’s first two wide receiver targets, as both had visits scheduled to Happy Valley. With Virgil off the board and players like Alabama transfer Caleb Odom, who visited Penn State as a high school recruit, and NC State transfer Kevin Concepcion eliminating Penn State from consideration, Rivers becomes an even higher priority. The 5-foot-11 speedster was named a third-team All-American this year, the first in FIU program history. Like Hudson, Rivers has one year of eligibility remaining, which is enough to align with a Heisman-hopeful QB.
With Allar back, Penn State’s national championship window stays open, but Franklin’s success in the portal will determine if it’s merely cracked or wide open. The loss of Virgil won’t make or break a title, but if more talented players continue to find homes elsewhere and Hudson is the only upgrade, the Nittany Lions could waste the final season of the most talented quarterback in program history.