Penn State's $2 million portal pickup gives them a 'real case' to open as top team in nation

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team is coming off a remarkable season—one that saw them reach the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals. Penn State battled Notre Dame in a hard-fought game, but a last-second interception gave the Fighting Irish the opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal.

The offseason didn’t begin smoothly for the Nittany Lions, as they lost defensive coordinator Tom Allen to Clemson. However, they've been aggressive and effective in the transfer portal. Just over a week ago, Trebor Pena from Syracuse entered the portal seeking a $2 million deal.

“You gonna make $2 million at wide receiver? That’s the homie at Ohio State (Jeremiah Smith). Ain’t nobody else making that money. I’m not giving no wide receiver $2 million in college. That ain’t me,” Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said. “I ain’t doing that unless they tell me we have a chance to have Travis Hunter come back to college. He can come here and play for us, then he gonna get some of my check.”

Head coach James Franklin and Penn State ended up landing Pena, a move that positions them as a potential No. 1 team entering the 2025–2026 season.

“In adding Trebor Pena, Penn State has a real case to enter 2025 as the No. 1 team in college football,” Ari Wasserman wrote.

This comes on the heels of the spring game, during which Franklin got into a heated exchange with a fan. However, that moment doesn't overshadow the progress the team has made in the portal.

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“Transfer receivers Kyron Hudson (USC), Devonte Ross (Troy), and Trebor Pena probably will determine whether the Nittany Lions are national title contenders or a very good team that makes the College Football Playoff but doesn’t make it until the end,” Andy Staples wrote.

The season could go in any direction for Penn State, but the recent addition of Pena certainly makes them a top-tier team.