James Franklin is under intense pressure as he heads into the 2025 season, with Penn State facing a major crisis at the wide receiver position. After a disappointing 2024 campaign, the Nittany Lions are scrambling to find reliable pass-catchers, and insiders like Josh Pate believe Franklin must aggressively hit the spring transfer portal to salvage the situation.
The concerns stem from Penn State’s lack of proven talent at wide receiver. Despite having a strong offensive line and a dominant backfield duo in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen—both of whom rushed for over 1,000 yards last season—the receiving corps is looking thin. The departure of top tight end Tyler Warren to the NFL and the losses of Trey Wallace (Ole Miss) and Omari Evans (Washington) to the transfer portal have left Penn State in a bind. Even former standout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who previously led the team in receiving yards, transferred to Auburn and earned All-SEC second-team honors.
Franklin has made some moves, adding Kyron Hudson (USC) and Devonte Ross (Troy) while retaining returners like Liam Clifford, Kaden Saunders, and Malik McClain. However, none of these names provide a sure-fire solution. Penn State’s struggles in wide receiver recruiting have also compounded the issue, as they recently lost out on top 2026 recruit Connor Salmin, who committed to Clemson instead.
With time running out before the season opener against Nevada on August 30th, Franklin’s best bet is the transfer portal. If he fails to land impactful receivers, another underwhelming season could further damage his standing at Penn State.