James Franklin details Trebor Pena's fit at Penn State

Penn State was already going to have a top-ranked team for next season going into the fall. They then got only better, especially at a position of need, with the spring addition of Syracuse WR Trebor Pena, a transfer that fit them in more ways than one according to James Franklin.

Franklin spoke about Pena, and how he has done since his portal recruitment to University Park, with the media on Thursday. He said that he became a target for them soon upon his entry based on what he was bringing from his previous program, namely his statistics and experience, and only became more of one as they got to meet him.

“So I think the first thing is, you know, right away, you notice the production, right. You know, as soon as you hear he’s going into the portal, you see the production and production matters. I think also the fact, he’s a sixth-year guy and, I look at college football a little bit like college basketball, maybe a few years back, where I think part of a winning formula or a championship formula is also being a mature team and there’s a lot of value that comes from that,” explained Franklin. “You know, and then we got a chance to get to know him, his mom who is awesome, and his girlfriend and they just seem like great fits here at Penn State. Also from the footprint, which helps – not the end all, be all but that helps.”

Franklin also got some relief in that process as they found the transfer storylines around him, as far as what he was looking to earn in name, image, and likeness, were untrue about Pena. That’s at least what the Nittany Lions felt over his week and a half that they spent recruiting him in the portal.

“And then I’m also glad because a lot of the stuff that was put out publicly? None of it was true, you know, about how his transfer took place and why it took place. And a lot of the, you know, financial descriptions of how that played out? None of those things were true as it relates to Penn State,” said Franklin. “At least based on our experience, they were non-factors.”

“I guess I probably shouldn’t have said none of those things were true. They weren’t true based on our experience and what we dealt with in terms of what his deciding factors about coming to Penn State were,” Franklin later added.

Pena spent a half decade, appearing in 41 games with 14 starts, with the Orange. He’d finish with 109 catches for 1,212 yards and 10 touchdowns while also returning 91 balls, 55 punts and 36 kicks, for 1,414 yards total and a touchdown, bringing him to 2,723 all-purpose yards and a dozen scores in his career at ‘Cuse. Pena is then coming off a career-best season where he, as a selection as All-ACC Second Team, posted 84 receptions for 941 yards and nine scores plus rushing for another touchdown.

Now, in the month and a half since his commitment, Pena has already acclimated to their building at Penn State. That goes for others of their eight transfers who have joined their playoff, if not national title, contender.

“And then, since him being here, I know, you know, our veteran players like him. Like, (WR Kyron) Hudson has come here and has really been a good fit and the guys really like him, you know. I think it’s also very interesting, right. A lot of guys that we got were captains. Hudson was a captain, Pena was a captain at their previous schools. I think that’s very telling, right, of how they viewed them, teammates and coaches, so that’s been really good,” said Franklin.

Penn State obviously needed help at wide receiver when it came to targets for this year. They’ve gotten that but more, though, with Pena.

“It’s just worked out really well,” said Franklin.