For now, Penn State is looking for five receivers. Five that the Nittany Lions feel comfortable with using every week in their hunt to reach the expanded College Football Playoff.
It may take some to figure it all out.
“That’s a critical group for us, right?” Lions coach James Franklin said. “I would like it to be for game one, but the reality is it could be for some of those guys in game three, game four, game five. And that’s the big discussion we had (Monday) morning as a staff meeting. We’ve got to identify guys we say, ‘OK, they may be not ready for whatever reason, physically, mentally, emotionally today — but these guys, we need them to be ready by game five of the season.’
“It’s obvious to pinpoint and be able to single out the guys that are ready right now. Who are the guys we need to make sure we continue to pour into them and develop them that they will be ready come game five the season or somewhere around there.”
It’s another year where wide receiver is the biggest question mark for the Lions headed into the season. Gone is last year’s leader in catches (53) and receiving yards (673) as KeAndre Lambert-Smith ultimately entered the transfer portal and headed to Auburn.
No. 2 on those lists was Dante Cephas, though he had just 22 catches for 246 yards before transferring to Kansas State.
This summer, coaches consistently pointed to Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford as the top performers during training camp that stood out from the group.
Wallace has wowed in practices for a few years now, but his career has been hampered by injuries. His lone touchdown last season came in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss.
Clifford, the brother of former Lions quarterback Sean Clifford, has taken a step forward after having a small role in the offense a year ago.
“It’s really not one specific area, it’s just overall. He’s more confident, more comfortable,” Franklin said of Clifford. “He’s much more consistent, which is what it’s all about for all these guys at this level.
“I look at his college career in a lot of ways like his high school career. Just kept getting better every single year. Really had a dominant senior year. Had a really good junior year. And I think his college career is going about the same way.
“He’s faster than I think people give him credit for. Got a big catch radius. I think he’s got a chance to be a playmaker for us this year. He’s shown flashes of that in the past.”
Julian Fleming got plenty of attention when he transferred in from Ohio State during the offseason. The former Southern Columbia star was rated as one of the top receiver recruits in the country back in the 2020 signing class, but he was overshadowed by multiple future first-round draft picks with the Buckeyes.
Fleming isn’t the gamebreaker some thought he might be coming out of high school, but the Lions are hopeful he can be a steady target for quarterback Drew Allar.
“He understands football. He has got a tremendous football IQ,” Franklin said of Fleming. “He is a big, strong, physical, tough guy who we think is going to make the tough catches for us. Has been throughout his career a very physical blocker. Also very good special teams player.
“I just think he’s one of the guys as a veteran older player, very intentional about what he has to do to be successful in how he practices and approached his offseason on the jugs machine and all those things. I think he’s been really good for our receiver room and our team, and we’re happy he’s here.”
That makes three. A fourth almost certainly would be Kaden Saunders — assuming he’s healthy.
Franklin doesn’t typically mention injuries unprompted, but he did so this week after he finished talking about Clifford.
“Kaden has some bumps and bruises that he has missed some time, and we are working through that right now,” Franklin said. “Obviously we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to go this week and be full go and be able to factor in for us.”
Saunders is also in line to be the Lions’ primary punt returner, which would create another problem to solve if he’s unable to play Saturday at West Virginia.
Beyond those four receivers? That remains to be seen. Franklin did mention a trio of redshirt sophomores — converted safety Mehki Flowers, Tyler Johnson and Anthony Ivey as untested wideouts who have “really stepped up for us.”
Franklin also said that true freshman Tyseer Denmark “is in that conversation as well.”
Last year, Penn State ran plenty of two-tight-end sets to mitigate some of their issues at wide receiver, and that could again be an option for new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Tyler Warren would be on an NFL roster right now had he declared for the draft. Khalil Dinkins was a clutch target on fourth down and on the goal line as the No. 3 tight end a year ago.
Andrew Rappleyea, Joey Schlaffer, Jerry Cross and true freshman Luke Reynolds are all former blue chip recruits, with Reynolds hauling in the most touchdowns of any player during camp.
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