Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/79325
CATCHING A BREAK Robinson is one of Penn State's top returning receivers after playing in 12 games as a freshman last season. Brown's transfer has given rise to con- cerns that Penn State will lack the re- ceivers it needs in order to operate Bill O'Brien's revamped offense. But are the Nittany Lions really bereft W of pass catchers? The receivers them- selves aren't so sure. "We definitely have the talent in the receiving group," sophomore Allen Robinson said. "I don't think anybody on this team or our coaches are worried about that. We have a lot of good re- ceivers who can play. Stats might not | hen Justin Brown left to play his final college football sea- son at Oklahoma, he created a void on his former team's roster. So goes the conven- tional wisdom, anyway. say it, but I think within the group, we know we can go out there and play ball." Robinson is one of the big reasons why the Nittany Lions are hoping for the best this fall. After a freshman season in which he played in 12 games and caught three passes, the Southfield, Mich., native shined in the Blue-White Game, catching three passes for a game-high 87 yards. Now he's getting set to assume a starting role, hoping to put his lanky 6-foot-3 frame and field-stretching speed to good use. "I'm looking forward to it," Robinson said. "It's definitely an exciting role that I have. This is what I worked for. Playing a little bit last year helped prepare me. I played in the Ohio State game, the Wisconsin game. I got some game ex- perience, so I'm looking forward to it." But, of course, there are those stats to consider. They might not say much about Penn State's potential this fall, but that in itself is a concern. They don't really say anything. Of the re- turning wideouts, none caught more than five passes last year. All told, the eight receivers on Penn State's presea- son depth chart combined to make 13 catches in 2011. That's 22 fewer than Brown had by himself. Still, O'Brien said he's confident in the returning players at those positions, citing Robinson and redshirt junior Shawney Kersey as two players who are likely to have an impact this fall. "These guys are 6-3, they both can John Beale