Tom Allen led a team meeting after practice on Tuesday. He had a message for Penn State’s wide receivers, and singled out two players in particular. Over his first preseason as the team’s defensive coordinator, he’s seen the receivers improve significantly, but none more than Harrison Wallace III and Liam Clifford. He wanted to let them know.
Allen isn’t the only one who’s noticed. So has James Franklin and quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula, as well as the rest of the coaches. The advancements under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki have generated a fair share of buzz throughout the offseason. But the “biggest difference” entering the fall, Franklin said, has been the emergence of Wallace and Clifford.
“I can say that their hard work is paying off. They work their tails off 24/7,” Pribula said after practice Tuesday. “I’m super proud of them, and really, they’ve been the guys this fall camp to set the bar.”
It’s no surprise that Wallace has separated himself from the bulk of the receivers. He’s clearly set to be Allar’s top target this season, and if it weren’t for injuries, it’s possible he would’ve been last year, as well. Wallace is “consistent” and “very explosive as an athlete,” Allar said. And he, more or less, showed that in his six starts in 2023. Health is the key to his success.
The praise of Clifford comes with more intrigue. Few anticipated Clifford to be announced as a starter for last season’s season opener against West Virginia. And even though he was, Clifford didn’t keep the job and was relatively inconsistent throughout the campaign. He finished the year with 13 receptions for 130 yards, nearly a quarter of which came on a single catch.
That one catch was maybe the best by any Penn State receiver in 2023. It was also one of Allar’s most impressive throws, a play NFL scouts are more than likely to note in their evaluation of him. With the first half nearing an end at Illinois, Allar threw over pressure and launched a 33-yarder to Clifford, who secured the ball and kept a foot in to set up a last-second field goal.
Allar has seen plays like that become a regular occurrence for Clifford.
“He’s really made the next step of just consistently making those tough catches and contested catches, just because that’s going to be the difference sometimes,” Allar said. “Like, we’re gonna have to throw it in tight coverage, and the receivers are making plays.”
Clifford handles business with the background of a quarterback. At least that’s how Allar puts it, who learned under Clifford’s older brother, Sean, over the 2022 season. Allar sees similarities between the younger and older Cliffords, particularly in being “football savvy” and sharing that with the rest of the team.
With Clifford leading the wide receivers, Allar has noticed a significant progression from a number of key pieces. Julian Fleming? “Fantastic.” Kaden Saunders? “Really good.” Omari Evans? “Really impressive … very explosive down the field.”
Still, none have seemingly been able to match the production of Wallace and Clifford. But that’s not to say production hasn’t been there, just that a clear bar has been set. Allar, Pribula and the coaching staff remain confident that the wide receivers will rebound after a down year in 2023. The team’s postseason hopes are counting on it.
“That receiver group is at a whole ‘nother level, just their consistency and their approach to it,” Allar said. “It’s been really fun to see everybody’s progression in that room. Like, everybody has taken the next step.”
