I’ll be the first one to admit it. I had my doubts about Trebor Pena coming into the season. The redshirt junior missed almost all of last year due to injury. When he did play back in 2022, it wasn’t anything special. Pena never had more than 50 yards in a game until Saturday. However, one of SU’s longest-tenured players showed that he has what it takes to be a legitimate contributor to the offense.
With Pena’s speed and ability in the slot to be open after just the first few steps in his route, he fits perfectly with Kyle McCord. The offensive line will be an issue this season. McCord may have just been sacked once, but he faced pressure multiple times. The line will have a much more difficult time moving forward as the schedule gets harder. Having a speedy slot guy like Pena will lift the pressure off McCord as it gives him an outlet underneath if a play breaks down.
The biggest thing that stuck out to me about Pena’s opening game though wasn’t what he was able to do underneath, but his two receiving touchdowns. Both were deeper routes to the left edge of the endzone that were executed perfectly. McCord throws a good enough ball in tight windows where the quickness of Pena allows him to separate and make things even easier for SU’s gunslinger.
Whether or not SU’s veteran receiving option continues to get these opportunities is the biggest question. Justus Ross-Simmons, who missed last week due to injury is expected to have a big role in the offense this year. However, his playing time may come at the expense of one of the outside WRs, not Pena. The speedy WR showed his worth in the slot in week one and has a prime opportunity to lock down his spot this weekend against Georgia Tech.
