Blue White Illustrated

January 2023

Penn State Sports Magazine

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 36 of 67

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR TFRANK.CARR@ON3.COM I t's no secret that Penn State is looking to bolster its receiver corps through the transfer portal this winter. The Nittany Lions were aggressive in offering the top names and tar- gets that had surfaced in the first few weeks of the portal's opening in early December, clearly looking to surround Drew Allar, the team's presumptive starting quarterback as a sophomore next season, with a full complement of targets. But instead of looking at the play- ers they've been trying to acquire, let's look at the need itself. Redshirt freshman Liam Clifford saw more time as the season went on at the slot receiver spot, but for the most part, he and true freshman Kaden Saunders were apparently not ready to have a role in the offense in 2022. While Clifford displayed good hands and route-running ability, there's al- ready talk of adding a veteran to the slot. Blue White Illustrated insider Sean Fitz believes that third-year sopho- more KeAndre Lambert-Smith is des- tined to move inside. Lambert-Smith has struggled with consistency and especially had issues against press-man coverage. Moving him to the slot would help shield him from press coverage and allow him to use his speed and agility to a fuller ex- tent. If Lambert-Smith does move inside, the Nittany Lions will have a logjam at the slot position unless something changes. In addition, it would create yet another hole at the X and Z posi- tions. When examining the portal, the re- ceivers that Penn State brings in will need to be able to line up and win from the outside. There are several different traits that make a good perimeter wide receiver, and no single attribute outweighs the others. However, there were two criti- cal issues that Penn State faced this past season. The first was the lack of a bona fide deep threat. Heading into the Rose Bowl, third-year sophomore tight end Theo Johnson was leading the team with an average of 15.8 yards per catch, but he was targeted only 23 times dur- ing the regular season, finishing with 19 catches for 300 yards. The second issue that plagued the receivers was difficulty gaining separa- tion from defensive backs. Teams rou- tinely gave Penn State fits by playing press-man coverage, Cover 0 and other single-coverage concepts that led to a quagmire in the passing game. Consider that Penn State receivers found themselves in 59 contested- catch situations during the regular season. That's 20 more than the pre- vious season, and the Nittany Lions threw the ball roughly 100 more times in 2021. Finding a receiver who has the right blend of skills to get open is key for the development of the team's young starting quarterback. Receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield will likely want any incoming wideouts to fit the mold of an X receiver. That's the traditional big-bodied pass catcher who can play with physi- cality, beat press coverage and get open. Players at this position don't need to have the traditional 6-foot-2 frame, but they need to embody those skills. Now, consider that Penn State needs two of those players. There is very little proven productivity in the receiving group that will return in 2023, and this team can't afford to wait around on players who need more time to develop. The portal provides an opportunity to bring in veteran players and give fans what they want — a chance at a divi- sional championship. Finding veteran experience will be critical. Allar is the presumed leader, but no matter who is operating the of- fense, the team will be young at the quarterback position. Having young receivers make mental errors could lead to catastrophic break- downs in the passing game. The team needs to have proven experience to in- sulate the starter. Also, it's important to note that our assessments of Allar's skill set are mostly speculative. We assume that the strong-armed quarterback will be able to hit all parts of the field, but can he drop a ball 40 yards downfield into a tight window? Will he be able to quickly work through his progressions to find players on the backside of the read that are open against zone cover- age? None of that is known yet, so it's critical for Penn State to find a diverse set of playmakers who can get open. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich found a winning formula in 2022, but that approach will change next season. With some external help and the infu- sion of youthful promise, the formula could be even better in 2023. ■ With Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley moving on, KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be Penn State's top return- ing wide receiver as a fourth-year junior next fall. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE PSU's Young Quarterback Will Need Some Helping Hands Upon Further Review

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Blue White Illustrated - January 2023