A Penn State football receiver revelation? How Trebor Pena keeps getting better

A retooled wide receiver room may be the most talked-about and telling part of this upcoming Penn State football national championship run.

Just six weeks to the 2025 regular season?

A focus is on one of three transfer receivers the Nittany Lions added since December. Trebor Pena was widely considered the top available receiver prospect in the spring transfer portal window — a production machine who apparently is steadily improving since arriving on campus.

And that's something.

Consider that Pena (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) led the entire ACC last year at Syracuse with 84 catches, producing 941 yards (11.2 per catch) and nine touchdowns. He's a senior with vast experience.

While he may not be able to replicate those numbers in a more balanced offense, Pena may be even better in 2025. Penn State strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey highlighted Pena's recent workout gains Monday during his regular summer question-and-answer session in State College:

"I knew we could make jumps in speed and his ability to be dynamic on the field," Losey said. "I watched his film, saw what his baseline measurables were when they first came in, and we've been able to increase his outputs on everything this summer. So, I’m really, I’m really excited to see where he tests out next week. I think he’s going to test really well."

Losey's talk is a good sign for critical receiving room improvement led by the additions of Pena and USC transfer Kyron Hudon and Troy transfer Devonte Ross. Last year, the PSU wideouts struggled with consistency and making big catches in the biggest games.

The season ended without a Lion wideout making a reception in the Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame.

While Hudson boasts length and catch-radius and Ross offers elite speed and maneuverability, Pena may be the most versatile, all-around.

Coach James Franklin offered this about him in early June:

“As soon as you hear he goes into the portal, you see the production,” Franklin said. “I think also the fact that he’s a sixth-year guy. I look at college football a little bit like college basketball, maybe a few years back, where part of a championship formula is also being a mature team. There’s a lot of value that comes from that. And then we got a chance to get to know him, his mom, who’s awesome, and his girlfriend. And they seemed like a great fit here at Penn State.”

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football receiver Trebor Pena is surging toward 2025 season