By Mark Pszonak
In today’s Fact or Fiction – Portal Edition – I look at three transfer related topics and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or FICTION.
QB Jackson Arnold will rejuvenate his career at Auburn
Mark’s take: FICTION
The skinny: 2024 was a season that began with hype for Arnold at Oklahoma but ended with a benching and resulting transfer to Auburn. So, now that he is out of Norman, will everything come together for him at Auburn? Unlikely. There were too many red flags during the 2024 season to think that everything suddenly will be better with the Tigers. Plus, he still has to play against SEC defenses, which he struggled against mightily in 2024.
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Will QB Nico Iamaleava lead UCLA to a bowl game?
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Mark’s take: FICTION
The skinny: After a 5-7 finish during head coach Deshaun Foster’s first season with the Bruins, the program needed a spark to try and reignite the program. They achieved that by grabbing Iamaleava from the portal. But will he do enough to get the Bruins into a bowl? A quick look at the schedule makes it unlikely. The out-of-conference schedule is far from easy (Utah, UNLV, New Mexico), while the Big Ten schedule includes Penn State, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington and Ohio State. There are winnable games against Michigan State, Northwestern and Maryland, and they’ll be favored against New Mexico, but who are the last two wins coming against? And most importantly, Iamaleava’s performance against P4 opposition last year was far from impressive. He will need to show considerable improvement if the Bruins are to make a bowl in 2025.
Trebor Pena will be the leading receiver for Penn State this season?
Mark’s take: TRUE
The skinny: Pena may prove to be one of the more important portal additions of the spring. Coming off a breakout season in 2024, when he finished with 84 receptions for 941 yards and nine touchdowns, he joins a Penn State offense that needed both consistency and production at receiver. While Penn State won’t be throwing the ball around the field like Syracuse did last year, quarterback Drew Allar will be looking for a new favorite target after tight end Tyler Warren’s move to the NFL. Replacing 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns won’t be easy, but with Pena playing underneath in the slot it will give Allar a reliable target throughout the season.
