Two Penn State starting receivers enter NCAA transfer portal

Penn State football's overhaul of its 2025 wide receiver room is in full swing. The Nittany Lions' top two receivers are reportedly set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which would make running back Nicholas Singleton the team's returning leader in receptions next season.

Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports It was first reported that redshirt junior Trey Wallace, who caught 46 passes last season, would enter the NCAA transfer portal. And Omari Evans, who caught 21 passes, said: Hayes Fawcett of On3 He will enter the portal. Evans is no longer listed on Penn State's online roster, along with former receivers Mehki Flowers and Tyler Johnson. With Julian Fleming out of eligibility, Penn State's receiver room will return one player who caught two or more passes last season. Liam Clifford is the top returning receiver (18 catches, 286 yards). Singleton leads all returning pass catchers with 41 receptions for 375 yards.

Wallace and Evans made a combined 26 starts and were among the consistent leaders among receivers in snaps last season. However, they finished their Penn State careers without a reception in the Orange Bowl, marking an inconsistent season regarding the position's productivity. Tight end Tyler Warren led Penn State with a program-record 104 receptions, and the entire receiver room combined for 102 catches. In the Orange Bowl, no receiver caught a pass. No receiver caught more than four passes in a postseason game (Wallace caught four passes each against Oregon and SMU), and no receiver caught more than five passes in a game all season. Warren has done it 10 times, including one memorable one. USC's 17-catch game.

Wallace, a former four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, opened the season with a five-catch, 117-yard, two-touchdown performance at West Virginia. The game heralded a breakthrough season for Wallace that never materialized. He caught just two touchdown passes the rest of the year, and his best yardage game since was against Washington (5 catches, 84 yards).

Penn State positioned Evans as a deep threat on offense, averaging 19.8 yards per catch. Evans also had the team's longest touchdown catch of the year (59 yards vs. Kent State) and led Penn State's receiver room in receptions of 30 yards or more (5). Evans caught a 38-yard touchdown pass against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and coach James Franklin said before the Orange Bowl that Evans' confidence is “soaring right now.”

“I'm proud of him. He's blocking and he's physical. He's making plays vertically down the field and I think we're using it the right way.” Franklin said. “And because he’s continuing to make plays and his confidence is soaring right now, you’ll see other plays (that he can make). I don't think Omari is anywhere near where he could be. I think he’ll get better and better as we continue to play this year.”

Penn State added two receivers from the transfer portal, including a former USC wideout. Kyron HudsonWe have recruited three wide receivers for the class of 2025.