On Christmas Eve, Penn State head coach James Franklin delivered his Nittany Lions a gift that was atop their wishlist, a wide receiver. Franklin landed a portal commitment from Troy receiver Devonte Ross, who posted a 1,000-yard season in 2024 and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Franklin wasn’t done after adding USC transfer wide receiver Kyron Hudson earlier in the transfer portal window. His 2025 offense, which crucial returns starting quarterback Drew Allar, still needed some additional speed, and he got it in Ross, the 5-foot-11 161-pound Cartersville, Georgia native.
The undersized deep threat was a breakout star this season, catching 11 touchdowns for the Trojans. He hauled in 10 of his 22 targets over 20 yards downfield and five of 11 contest catch opportunities, an unlikely skillset for a featherweight wide receiver, though creating with the ball in his hands is his best ability and one that the Nittany Lions desperately need.
Ross can turn a quick screen into a big play and an underneath target into a touchdown. He’s one of the most productive players in the country in terms of yards after the catch on targets behind the line of scrimmage and will make life much easier for Allar, who has a lot on his shoulders in 2024 with an underwhelming group of receivers, assuming his skillset translates.
This isn’t the first time that Franklin has looked to add wide receiver talent through the transfer portal and so far his track record isn’t great. Last offseason his lone addition was Julian Fleming from Ohio State, and through 14 games he has just 14 receptions and he’s been all but phased out of the gameplan in his final year of eligibility. The year prior, Franklin landed a commitment from Kent State transfer Dante Cephas, whose skillset as a 1,000-yard receiver at the Group of Five level never translated to Big Ten football.
There’s a risk, with Ross’s slight frame, that he’ll be unable to succeed at the Power 4 level, but there is an example of a similar body type and skillset dominating the conference. Tez Johnson, who also began his career at Troy, led Oregon to a Big Ten title game over Penn State with 11 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown, and the 5-foot-10 165-pound senior is heading towards his second-straight 1,000-yard season for the Ducks.
Penn State may not need Ross to be Johnson to compete for a national championship in 2025. With Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans both returning to a receiver corps that now includes Hudson and Ross, the Nittany Lions should have enough playmakers, but if he follows his former teammate's career trajectory, then Franklin got an absolute steal in the portal who will make Penn State hard to beat next season.