Penn State Lands Second Receiver From the Transfer Portal

Troy's Devonte Ross, one of the top receivers in the Sun Belt Conference, joins the Nittany Lions' 2025 roster.

Troy Trojans wide receiver Devonte Ross (7) returns a punt 77 yards for a touchdown as Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Xavier Nwankpa (1) pursues during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Penn State has landed its second wide receiver from the NCAA Transfer Portal, as former Troy receiver Devonte Ross announced his decision to join the 2025 Penn State football roster. Ross announced the move on Instagram.

Ross became the third player to announce plans to transfer to Penn State, joining former USC receiver Kyron Hudson and former Texas A&M defensive end Enai White.

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A post shared by Devonte Ross (@vonteezy5)

Ross, who has one season of eligibility remaining, was a first-team All-Sun Belt receiver for Troy last season. He finished second in the conference in catches (76) and receiving yards (1,043) and led the Sun Belt with 11 touchdowns. Ross also was a second-team return specialist, averaging 17 yards per punt return and scoring on a 77-punt return against Iowa.

Ross had a prolific all-purpose season, averaging 120.4 yards per game. He set Troy's single-game record for receiving yards against Florida A&M (229). That included a 98-yard touchdown catch, the longest play in Troy's Division I history.

Ross had an impressive game against Iowa, scoring all three of Troy's touchdowns: the 77-yard punt return and touchdown catches of 63 and 62 yards. He had five catches for 142 yards against the Hawkeyes.

Ross does it again! 💥 @devonteross22 to the house for @TroyTrojansFB pic.twitter.com/ogxC20dpUq

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 14, 2024

Ross (5-11, 161 pounds) caught 129 passes for 1,618 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons at Troy. A 3-star prospect from Cartervilla (Ga.) High, Ross visited Penn State last weekend after entering the portal Dec. 16. Ross initially committed to Marshall in late 2020 but signed with Kentucky for the 2021 season. He did not join the Wildcats that season, however, and enrolled at Troy for the 2022 season.

Philadelphia native Enai White transferring to Penn State

Penn State coach James Franklin had recruited edge rusher Enai White out of Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter, offering him a scholarship in 2019, along with nearly every other major college program in the country. White, a 4-star prospect and one of the nation's top-ranked edge rushers at the time, eventually committed to Texas A&M's 2022 recruiting class, which the 247Sports Composite ranked as No. 1 in the nation.

White played in 13 games over three seasons at Texas A&M, including just one game in 2024. White sustained a season-ending injury after playing in five games during the 2023 season, which lingered into 2024, when he played just nine snaps. White has two seasons of eligibility remaining and will be reunited with Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes, with whom he trained in high school.

Earlier this season, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said in an interview that White had faced a "long road back" from his 2023 injury.

"It's been a long road back for him, and obviously it was a really rough injury and the rehab on those injuries is so long," Elko said on Texas A&M's Aggie Football Hour this fall.

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