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LAST WORD M A T T L I N G E R M A N | L I N G E R M A N M A T T H E W @ G M A I L . C O M hen Kirk Ciarrocca takes over Penn State's offense in 2020, he'll have plenty of players with which to build a high-powered, fast-paced of- fense. He'll have perhaps the most well- rounded tight end in the nation in Pat Freiermuth, plus a quartet of running backs who are poised to build on the success they enjoyed last season. The offensive line returns four starters, and quarterback Sean Clifford showed in his first season as a starter that he has the tools to win games in the Big Ten. But the further one moves from the ball, the more questions Penn State has to answer. That's been largely true since Chris Godwin left the program follow- ing the 2017 Rose Bowl. But with K.J. Hamler opting to enter the upcoming NFL Draft, the situation on the outside for next season appears worrisome. Jahan Dotson will return after hauling in 27 passes for 488 yards and five touch- downs as a sophomore. But he'll have to make a huge jump to fill the void left by Hamler, who led the Lions in receptions, yards and scores in 2019. And to make matters more difficult, for Dotson to truly lead the receiving corps, he'll need at least one of his fellow wideouts to sep- arate himself from the hodgepodge of potential in the wide receiver room. Judging by the final depth chart of the season, it's likely that Daniel George, Cam Sullivan-Brown, Mac Hippenham- mer and Isaac Lutz will have chances to earn snaps next season. But in 2019, they combined to make 19 catches for 186 yards and no TDs. Those would be mod- est numbers for a single player, let alone a collection of four receivers on a team that craved a third option on the outside. Plus, there's the issue of style and fit. When Dotson came into Penn State, many thought his shiftiness made him a perfect option as a slot receiver. But with that role taken by Hamler, Dotson spent more of his time on the outside over the course of his first two seasons. At the end of 2018, James Franklin lauded him for his ability to play all three receiver positions, and he'll likely move around as needed. But of the receivers mentioned above, only one – George – stands taller than 6-foot-0. There were times this past season when it was obvious that Clif- ford would have liked to trust receivers to shield off defenders or go up to make catches that smaller receivers would struggle to reach. Juwan Johnson never quite reached his potential at Penn State, and no one stepped into that role after he left for Oregon. That brings us back to Ciarrocca and his style of offense. It's important to note that Penn State's scheme isn't going to drastically change with him at the helm. But it's also important to take a look at how Ciarrocca used his per- sonnel at Minnesota. Under Ciarrocca's guidance, the Golden Gophers were the only team in the Big Ten to boast a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Tyler Johnson, whose 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns were both conference-bests, and Rashod Bate- man, who posted 1,219 yards and 11 TDs. For reference, Penn State hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Godwin broke the millennium mark in 2015. Both Johnson and Bateman, it's worth noting, are 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds. Penn State fans will remember from the Lions' loss in Minneapolis in Novem- ber that the Golden Gophers ran a high- tempo offense that involved plenty of run-pass options designed to get those guys the ball on quick routes like slants over the middle. As those concepts worked, Penn State's secondary was sucked toward the line of scrimmage, at which point Minnesota exposed the gaps left on the outside for chunk plays. Meanwhile, three Minnesota tight ends combined for 10 catches last season. To get one thing straight, Ciarrocca will undoubtedly get Freiermuth in- volved. He wouldn't have been hired if Franklin didn't believe in his ability to get the ball to the team's playmakers. But Penn State's offense in 2020, whether by design or personnel neces- sity, will not be a carbon copy of Min- nesota's record-breaking display in 2019. Penn State likely doesn't have the size to go over the middle as much as Johnson and Bateman did, and while the Lions utilize the RPO, it won't completely take over the offensive game plan. So what will the passing game look like? For one, with Dotson having spent most of the past two years on the out- side, it shouldn't come as a surprise if he remains out there for the majority of the time. Given his quickness, Penn State will probably try to get him the ball near the line of scrimmage so that he can make guys miss in the open field. Beyond that? It's a question mark. The hope for Franklin and his staff is that some of the returning wideouts develop into true secondary and tertiary options. Another possibility, perhaps less likely, is that four-star true freshman KeAndre Lambert carves out a role. It's also possi- ble that the Lions will bring in a transfer. They will need to make their improve- ments even as players are adjusting to the arrival of a new position coach. Gerad Parker left for West Virginia in January, and his replacement hadn't been hired as of this writing. Given the number of playmakers they have accumulated elsewhere on offense, the Lions can survive without an elite receiving corps. But a certain level of productivity will be required. A subpar showing here will prevent the team from operating on all cylinders. ■ Playing catch-up W

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