Penn State wide receivers didn’t record a single catch in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. In the team’s most pivotal game of the season, its only passing production came from the two positions heavily featured in its scheme all year — tight end and running back.
That glaring imbalance wasn’t a new problem for Penn State football, though. The season-ending loss to Notre Dame was consistent with a season-long trend for the Nittany Lions. Despite flashes of talent and some team-first plays from its wide receivers, Penn State’s offense struggled to involve them all year, particularly against elite defenses. And now, the position room is undergoing a complete overhaul for the 2025 season.
How Penn State deployed its wide receivers in 2024
Penn State’s offensive formula, which focused on a dominant run game and its do-it-all tight end, was the correct way to maximize its talent. Tyler Warren racked up a Penn State-record 104 catches and 1,233 receiving yards, and the Nittany Lions averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game. Even with wide receivers playing a secondary role, Penn State’s offense was one of the Big Ten’s best in scoring (fourth) and total offense (third).
Early in the season, the receivers showed promise. Harrison Wallace III, Omari Evans and Liam Clifford each logged 100-yard games, while Julian Fleming totaled a season-high 60 yards against Kent State. Few expected those players to consistently produce massive numbers, but with the unit’s depth on display, there was optimism. Before the season-opener, Penn State coach James Franklin said he thought wide receiver was his team’s most improved position group from 2023 next to quarterback and offensive line.
“I think everybody had a pretty good idea of who we were at tight end and running back,” Franklin said in August. “There’s been a lot of energy poured into those positions.”
Even as their numbers fell off, Franklin’s receivers found other ways to impact games. No receiver surpassed 100 yards again following Clifford’s 107-yard game vs. UCLA. But Wallace still caught at least two passes in every game prior to the Orange Bowl, Evans showcased what Franklin called his “superpower” speed as a deep threat and coaches saw the impacts of Fleming’s veteran leadership in the receiving room.
Receivers coach Marques Hagans also noted in October how his unit was “playing for each other” and “doing whatever the team needs” to win games. Throughout the postseason, Penn State’s wide receivers found ways to make winning plays despite a lack of receptions. That’s something Franklin pointed out before the Orange Bowl. Players like Fleming and Clifford became key run-blockers in a strong ground game down the stretch.
“You watch how Julian [Fleming is] blocking. Where are the explosive plays coming from? The receivers owning all of the responsibilities of being true wide receivers,” Franklin said. “Every receiver wants 80 catches and 1,000 yards, but those guys are a big reason that we’ve won the games we’ve won.”
But championship teams expect more from their receivers than blocking and the occasional big play. That issue manifested late in the season for Penn State.
Penn State’s lack of receiver involvement in big games
While Warren caught a program-record 104 passes in 16 games, six Nittany Lions receivers combined for 102 receptions. As the season moved along, Allar’s target share shifted more toward the tight ends and running backs. In three College Football Playoff games, Hagans’ unit totaled 10 catches, all of which came before the Orange Bowl. Wallace had seven, Evans had two and Clifford had one.
Many of the reasons for Penn State’s offensive improvements this season stemmed from the creativity and explosiveness that offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki brought from Kansas. But as the team focused the offense away from its receivers, Allar found himself without reliable options in short-range passing situations outside of Warren.
The lack of consistency among receivers became more evident in high-stakes games. Against Ohio State, Penn State’s receivers managed just three catches in a 20-12 loss. Against Notre Dame, they recorded none. Elite defenses exploited the unit’s struggles. Before the team had faced its toughest challenges in October, Franklin said the Nittany Lions “have to continue to get the ball in [their wide receivers’] hands to develop that aspect of our offense.”
“We would like it to be a little bit more consistent, but I think it’s helpful that when you watch our tape or when you study us, all those [wide receivers] have made plays at times,” Franklin said. “Obviously, our running backs and our tight ends have been doing it now for a while. Our wide receivers, I really feel like they are developing and have really had a nice year so far. … I think we’re going to need to develop that area as the season goes on.”
That development never happened. The lack of production at the wide receiver position ultimately played a role in Penn State’s playoff fate, coming just a few points shy of the national championship game. Franklin was asked before the Washington game in November if the Nittany Lions could get where they wanted to go with their current level of production from receivers. With Warren, Fleming, Wallace and Evans now departing, similar questions will surround the team in 2025.
“There have been significant strides made there, but there is still more work to do. … We have got to be able to threaten people. Got to be able to stretch people. Got to be able to make plays and create separation and make tough catches,” Franklin said in November. “I think that needs to be an emphasis really for the rest of the season. … [Being] able to make more plays in the passing game at the wide receiver position is going to be really important not only for this game, but long-term for this season and where we want to go.”
Where are Penn State’s receivers headed?
Next fall, Penn State will have the same goal it did this season: to make a run to its first national championship since 1986. After the Nittany Lions’ loss to Notre Dame, it didn’t take long to realize how the offense will change.
While Penn State will return its offensive coordinator, starting quarterback, top two running backs and four starring linemen, the receivers room will be much different. Wallace and Evans, who started 26 career games and accounted for 67 of the receivers’ 102 receptions, entered the transfer portal. Fleming is out of eligibility. That leaves Clifford as the only receiver with more than two catches in 2024 set to return.
However, Franklin did add two receivers from the transfer portal. Former USC receiver Kyron Hudson will join Penn State after totaling 462 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his junior year, and Devonte Ross arrives from Troy after compiling 1,043 receiving yards and 11 scores. Penn State also recruited three receivers in the 2025 class, notably 4-star prospect Matthew Outten, the No. 10 athlete in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
During a Signing Day ceremony in December, Franklin hinted at the change facing Penn State’s receivers room when speaking with Outten.
“We have big plans for you,” Franklin said.
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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_ or Instagram @dmadersports.
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