A scorching day of preseason camp concluded in the middle of Penn State’s outdoor practice field on Friday. The group of panting and sweaty Nittany Lions surrounded safety Jaylen Reed, who had something to say to one position group in specific, but wanted the entire team to hear it.
It was a message for the wide receivers, and it came on a day that they “gave the defense hell,” veteran pass catcher Harrison Wallace III said. It wasn’t only evident to Reed and the secondary, but to James Franklin, who, on Saturday, praised the receivers for taking a significant step forward on the second day of camp.
“I just let them know, like, ‘I need you guys this year. Like, you are a huge part of the goals we have this year to go to the Big Ten Championship, to win against West Virginia, to start off right,’” Reed said Saturday. “We’re gonna need those guys; they’re a huge part of our success. As a leader on this team, I just wanted to let them know that from me personally.”
The receivers have heard the noise and seen the stats from a down year for the group in 2023. Neither have been necessarily positive.
Now they’re hearing it from their own teammates, but not in a negative light. The belief throughout the program, from coaches to players, is that Penn State’s wide receivers will rebound this fall. And if they don’t, that could mean another whiff on the College Football Playoff, for which a berth is now an expectation with the pool expanded to 12 teams.
The noise and numbers, whether from inside or outside the facilities, has become the heartbeat of the receiving unit as the Aug. 31 season opener at West Virginia inches closer.
“We saw everything, we’ve heard everything that people were saying about us last year. We also saw where we ranked in drops as a receiver unit, and it was really low in the country,” receiver Kaden Saunders said. “So this offseason, we made a big emphasis on catching the football and making catches every day, and I think we’ll see a dramatic difference this year.”
Drops were one thing, but a lack of explosiveness was the true root of the Nittany Lions’ problem in 2023. That goes for both the receivers and quarterback Drew Allar, who struggled to find a stride in the passing game in losses to Ohio State and Michigan.
To quell question marks on the play-calling side of things, Franklin turned to new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who turned Kansas into one of the nation’s most explosive teams. The Jayhawks ranked No. 6 nationally with seven yards per play in 2023, and Kotelnicki can only hope that with more talent than he’s used to, similar numbers will follow at Penn State.
Just how confident is Kotelnicki in his crop of receivers? “Very.”
“It’s been the funnest group to watch grow because, right now, everyone’s just pointing a finger at them, and they’re dead set on proving everyone wrong, and I’m right there with them,” Kotelnicki said.
It was always Wallace and KeAndre Lambert-Smith as the known commodities in the Nittany Lions’ wide receiver corps last season. The common question surrounded whether a third target would separate themselves from the pack. No one did, and Lambert-Smith has since transferred to Auburn.
But this year, with Wallace fully healthy and Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming in the mix as both a talented playmaker and vocal leader, Kotelnicki believes there isn’t only a trio of receivers, but five who could make a valuable impact. Omari Evans, Kaden Saunders and Liam Clifford are the other three.
“Those guys, you just see them, they’re always here. They’re grown, they know what to do, they can play any position. It’s awesome,” Kotelnicki said.
It should help that star tight end Tyler Warren is back for another season. But he can’t do it alone.
All eyes are on Kotelnicki and wide receivers coach Marques Hagans to salvage what could ultimately be Penn State’s most important position group for a second consecutive year.
“I think they’ve responded by showing up to work every day. And as a coach, that’s all you can ask,” Hagans said. “They’re a good group of guys to be around. I believe in them. I’m confident in those guys. They complement each other, and I’m excited to watch them continue to grow and work.”
