Well, that was unexpected.
In a surprise development, Syracuse wide receiver Trebor Pena announced he would enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, setting up his departure from the Orange after five seasons.
There’s no way to undersell this: losing Pena hurts. He was Syracuse’s top receiver last year in the best passing offense in the country with quarterback Kyle McCord at the controls and was a major deep ball threat while hauling in 84 catches for 941 yards and nine touchdowns.
In December, he was appointed to be a team captain by head coach Fran Brown. Pena was also the top punt returner on special teams and was set to be Syracuse’s go-to guy on offense after the departure of players like Oronde Gadsden and LeQuint Allen Jr. in the NFL draft.
If that wasn’t bad enough, early reports say that teams like the Miami Hurricanes and Texas Tech Red Raiders are interested in Pena. Losing Pena hurts, but watching the sixth-year pass-catcher depart for Miami could be an especially tough pill to swallow.
In one of the program’s most impressive wins in recent memory, an unranked Syracuse team upset then-No. 6 Miami in a 42-38 stunner at the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 30. Pena was the leading receiver in that game, hauling in 6 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.
It goes without saying, but the Orange wouldn’t have won that game without Pena.
Considering Syracuse and Miami will play in a heavily-anticipated rematch at the Dome on Nov. 8 next season, the thought of watching Pena torch the Syracuse secondary in a Hurricanes jersey is brutal.
Syracuse fans might need some time to get over Pena’s departure, but the good news is that the Orange still have plenty of depth behind him.
Darrell Gill Jr., who had a 4-catch, 145-yard performance in the team’s Bowl Game win over Washington State, is returning and will likely take over as the team’s top option. Emanuel Ross and Justus Ross-Simmons will also come back, giving the Orange some established players in Fran Brown’s system.
Syracuse also has talented freshmen pass-catchers Darius Johnson and Demetres Samuel Jr. waiting in the wings, who have impressed in practices and the team’s spring game.
So no, the sky isn’t falling because Pena is leaving, so there’s no reason to panic yet. Still, there’s no denying his departure will sting, especially if it’s to an ACC rival like Miami.
