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For the first time, former Penn State receiver Trey Wallace explains why he left the Lions for Ole Miss

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•03/26/25•

GregPickel

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Ole Miss wide receiver Trey Wallace (Photo credit: Ole Miss football/X)

Harrison “Trey” Wallace is one of the 11 former Penn State players from the 2024 team who will suit up for a different school in 2025. The Alabama native played his final game with the Nittany Lions in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff back in mid-January. Shortly after it, he entered the NCAA transfer portal. After less than a week in it, he exited by committing to Ole Miss. Head coach Lane Kiffin’s Rebels were one of a few schools in the running to land the receiver with one year of eligibility remaining. Other programs he considered include Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Louisville.

Speaking with reporters in Oxford for the first time since both transferring and starting spring practice at the SEC school, Wallace explained Tuesday why he left Penn State and also why the Rebels were the pick.

“Really,  it’s always hard, especially leaving a great team like Penn State, but I wanted to take a chance on myself this last year and just really find a passing offense that, passing being their No. 1 focus,” Wallace said, per a video posted by Blue-White Illustrated sister site OM Spirit. “Really just seing how their receiver room has just thrived over the years and how their offense is really like a pass-focused offense is something I could see myself being apart of.”

More: Penn State receivers under the spotlight in first open practice

Wallace III caught 84 passes for 1,221 yards and six touchdowns during his time in State College. He had his best statistical year in 2024. Then, he posted a 46-720-4 stat line. While he never became the dominant No. 1 receiver that Penn State hoped he could, he was productive in blue and white. And, we now know why he picked Ole Miss to try and take the next step in his college career.

“I’m pretty confident,” Wallace said. “I would say an explosive receiver who can make plays in all three levels and also get it done in the run game.”

Penn State, of course, made some changes of its own to its receivers room this offseason. With Wallace III and Omari Evans both moving on, the Lions brought Kyron Hudson in from USC and Devonte Ross from Troy to compete with players who are already on the roster. That competition kicked off Tuesday with the start of the spring practice.

“To really judge a wide receiver before you’ve seen them at practice and running routes and creating separation and one-on-ones and making contested catches and catch percentage and radius and those things, it’s hard to say,” Franklin said. “It’s hard for me to say that.

“In term of their attitude, their work ethic, their demeanor, in terms of fit in our locker room, all those things have been really good. You know, in some ways I would say recruiting guys like Ross out of Troy and schools like that, a lot of times those are exciting because, no knock on any other school or place, but we just have a little bit more resources. So those guys have a chance to develop a little bit more than when you go get a guy from a similar type program.”

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