Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1511150
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 2 5 P enn State's wide receivers fell well short of the measuring stick that was set ahead of the Nittany Lions' trip to Ohio State. As a group, the wideouts caught only 13 passes in the 20-12 loss to the Buck- eyes on Oct. 21, and that number was skewed by redshirt junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith, PSU's No. 1 receiver, who singlehandedly was responsible for nearly half of that total with 6 catches totaling 52 yards. Criticism was warranted throughout the Penn State offense for its performance in Columbus, but perhaps the most sobering thought coming out of that game was that the group on the outside was living up to preseason expectations, and not in an en- couraging way. Is help on the way from the younger ranks, though? Penn State brought in four wide receivers in its 2022 recruiting class, and that number grew to five when Cristian Driver switched over from defensive back last off- season. So far, the answer to that question isn't promising. Only one, maybe two young wideouts have been able to dent the back half of the two-deep. It's a topic that coach James Franklin dis- cussed at length in the aftermath of the Ohio State game while addressing the second-year group and recent transfer portal additions Dante Cephas and Malik McClain. "What we've been trying to do, really for the last year, is to get some consistency," Franklin said. "If you're constantly just ro- tating guys in, then it's hard for them to get into a rhythm. You want there to be a group of guys who have differentiated themselves, and you want to allow those guys to get enough reps and enough opportunities to show what they can do." Franklin added that Penn State had gath- ered "enough information" to determine which young players could make an impact during the final weeks of the 2023 season. "That's really what we've been looking for, consistency in practice," he told reporters in October. "We've got a group of guys who I think are all competing, but no one's sepa- rating themselves from the group — that's in practice and in game reps, which you guys have been able to see." We recently reached out for feedback on the group of 2022 wideouts to see where they stand. The results were truly a mixed bag. Here's a recap of what we're hearing on the Nittany Lions' young receivers to date. Kaden Saunders R-FR. | 5-10 | 175 One of only two members of the class with more than one catch to his name through nine games, Saunders was the only Penn State player to find the end zone against Ohio State. He caught 2 passes for 25 yards against the Buckeyes and made a nice catch in the back of the end zone late in the game. Penn State's receiving corps has acute needs this year, but the five wideouts in the team's 2022 recruiting class are still awaiting their chance to make an on-field impact All Hands On Deck S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M Kaden Saunders' biggest contribution to date has been as a punt returner. He handled that job before being replaced by Daequan Hardy at midseason. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE