The Biletnikoff Award is given annually to the top receiver in college football. Among the many wideouts who are considered favorites to claim this year's trophy are two incoming Penn State transfers.
Redshirt senior Trebor Peña and senior Devonte Ross were the Nittany Lions' two representatives on the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, which was released on Wednesday. Penn State is one of eight schools with multiple players on the list, with Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan State being among the other seven.
Peña, who was also named to the Paul Hornung Award preseason watch list, joined Penn State via the transfer portal after spending the first five years of his college football career at Syracuse. He is coming off his best season with the Orange, during which he caught 84 passes for 941 yards and nine touchdowns. Peña had 100-yard games against Stanford on Sept. 20 and Miami on Nov. 30, in addition to being named to the All-ACC Second Team for his efforts throughout the year.
Ross, meanwhile, previously plied his trade at Troy, where he was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team as both a wide receiver and an all-purpose player and the All-Sun Belt Second Team as a return specialist. Last year, he totaled 1,043 receiving yards (229 of which came against Florida A&M on Sept. 21) and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions. Ross also returned 13 kickoffs for 214 yards and nine punts for 153 yards and a score.
The additions of Peña and Ross will provide production to a Penn State passing game that lost its top target from last season, tight end Tyler Warren, to the NFL. The Drew Allar-led squad will take on Nevada in its season opener at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 30.