Blue White Illustrated

A T T H E 2 0 1 9 N I T T A N Y L I O N S might have had 524 more passing yards. Of course, no team no matter how tal- ented is going to go an entire season without dropping any passes, so let's be conservative and convert only half of those drops into catches. That still leaves PSU with an extra 262 yards on the season – basically, an entire game's worth of passing yardage. And those yards could have altered Penn State's season in profound ways. They probably wouldn't have turned the Michigan game into a win, as the Lions lost that one by 35 points. But the com- bined margin of defeat in their other three losses was seven points. Had Thompkins held on to Clifford's catch- able pass in the Citrus Bowl, to cite just one example, it would have given the Lions possession inside Kentucky's 10- yard line and may even have produced a touchdown. It could have been a game- changing play in a defensive struggle that Penn State ultimately lost by a field goal, and a victory in Orlando would have sent the Lions into the off-season on a much more positive note. One other way to assess the harm those drops inflicted is to compare Penn State to the Big Ten's best team, the one that it wants to dethrone. During its 12- game regular season, Ohio State at- tempted 140 more passes than PSU, yet it had only 24 drops. Only three Buckeye receivers had drop rates in excess of 10 percent. The most drop-prone player on their roster, at least according to Pro Football Focus, was junior tight end Rashod Berry at 12.5 percent. Looking beyond the Big Ten, College Football Playoff finalists Clemson and Alabama had 39 drops between them in the regular season. Clemson had 27 drops, but its top three receivers – Tee Higgins, Amari Rodgers and Hunter ceiving yards in 2018, amassing 2,252 yards as a group. Parker has also coached at Marshall, Cincinnati and UT-Martin. He coached alongside his future Penn State col- league Ja'Juan Seider in 2011 and '12 while with the Thundering Herd. A native of Louisa, Ky., Parker set state records as a high school receiver, making 238 catches for 4,814 yards and 52 touchdowns at Lawrence County High. He went on to become a four- year letterman at Kentucky and began his college coaching career as a gradu- ate assistant with the Wildcats. Penn State fired Corley on Jan. 2 after only one season in University Park. Corley's dismissal came less than 24 hours after the team concluded its sea- son in the Citrus Bowl. The receivers' struggles were a major factor in the of- fense's decline, as PSU went from first in the Big Ten in passing in 2017 to sev- enth this past season. Corley had come to Penn State from Army, where he served as receivers coach for the Black Knights. He was originally hired to coach the Lions' run- ning backs but was moved to wide re- ceivers when the team hired Seider. ■ Penn State's wide receiver corps got a bit thinner in January when veteran wideout Juwan Johnson announced that he will not be returning for his final season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior did not say where he intends to enroll, only that he won't be back with the Nittany Lions in 2019. "After talks with God, my family, and my closest ones, I've decided to not play my final season at Penn State Uni- versity," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "First, I am thanking my Heavenly Fa- ther for being the father that he is and giving me the ability to be at such a prestigious university. Not only to be here, but to walk away with a degree. I would also like to thank the ridiculous fan base for all the support. Seriously, you guys are everything. PSU fans are second to none and I greatly appreci- ated them for a tremendous journey. Lastly, I want to thank Coach Franklin for helping me grow as a man, and the staff for the opportunities I was able to enjoy. It's truly been a blessing. 84 out." Johnson had an up-and-down junior season in which he battled injuries and caught only 25 passes for 352 yards. His spectacular one-handed catch vs. Ohio State was one of the highlights of the year, but he also was one of the more drop-prone receivers in a wideout corps that struggled all season. Accord- ing to statistics compiled by ProFoot- ballFocus.com, Johnson had a team-high six drops. A year earlier, he had been one of Trace McSorley's top targets, finishing with 54 catches for 701 yards and one TD – the game-win- ning catch in a walk-off victory at Iowa. A former four-star prospect from Glassboro, N.J., Johnson graduated in December and will be eligible to play immediately at his school of choice. In other transfer news, a pair of de- fensive players – linebacker Dae'lun Darien and cornerback Zech McPhear- son – announced in January that they will be leaving Penn State. Darien said he wanted to be closer to his family in Baltimore, while McPhearson plans to leave after graduating this spring. Both had sophomore eligibility last season. Two other players – safety Lamont Wade and wide receiver Brandon Polk – had reportedly appeared in the NCAA's transfer portal, indicating that they were interested in exploring their options. Wade has two years of eligibil- ity remaining, while Polk will be a sen- ior next fall. ■ Senior WR Johnson plans to transfer from Penn State

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