State of Penn State: The Wide Receivers

The Lions are remaking their receivers room in hopes of chasing a championship.

Author:
Mark Wogenrich
Jan 26, 2023 12:00 AM EST

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Penn State Nittany Lions

Before joining Penn State's roster in 2022, receiver Mitchell Tinsley played football at Western Kentucky, a community college, and for one year of high school. He turned himself into Penn State's most productive receiver (in catches and touchdowns) and a potential NFL Draft pick in 2023.

Before leaving Penn State, Tinsley advised those who might follow his path.

"I would say if you want to compete and play against the best week in, week out and against the best in practice, this is the place to be," Tinsley said.

This offseason, Penn State is trying to rebuild that place. The Lions have replaced their receivers coach, their top two receivers are gone and they're searching for a No. 1. In fact, they were looking last year, too.

Penn State is developing the offensive roster and template to chase a championship but needs a receiver rebuild. As part of our State of Penn State series, here's a look at the receiver position and its new coach.

Part 1: The Quarterbacks

Part 2: The Running Backs

Who's Penn State's New Receivers Coach?

James Franklin hired Marques Hagans as his fifth receivers coach at Penn State. Hagans replaces Taylor Stubblefield, whom Franklin let go after three seasons.

Hagans is a Virginia lifer. He played quarterback there and returned as a coach in 2010, spending the last 12 seasons in Charlottesville. He's a coaching rarity; Penn State is his second career stop.

Hagans has developed some solid receivers at Virginia, where two head coaches retained him during regime changes. In 2022, Tony Elliott made Hagans his associate head coach. That's meaningful.

Further, Hagans recruits the Tidewater region of Virginia, where Penn State is a major player. His new job brings pressure, but Hagans appears ready for it.

Who's Here

Jr. KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Jr. Malick Meiga
Redshirt Soph. Liam Clifford
Sophomore Omari Evans
Redshirt Soph. Harrison Wallace III
Redshirt Fr. Kaden Saunders
Redshirt Fr. Tyler Johnson
Redshirt Fr. Anthony Ivey
Redshirt Fr. Cristian Driver

Who's Arriving

Dante Cephus (transfer from Kent State)
Malik McClain (transfer from Florida State)

Who's Gone

Mitchell Tinsley
Parker Washington
Jadin Dottin (Transfer)

The Situation

Penn State brought in four receivers in the 2022 recruiting class, added two through the transfer portal, shifted Cristian Driver from defensive back to receiver and then replaced its position coach. That's a lot of change to navigate this offseason.

Hagans' room is filled with developmental talent that could go a number of directions. Lambert-Smith played his two best games against Michigan State and Utah. Now, he needs to distribute those big plays consistently across a season.

Cephas and McClain have the opportunity to break out in new environments as Tinsley did. Wallace was intermittently impressive, Clifford gradually earned more playing time and Driver has the pedigree (his father is former Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver) to make an impact.

There's a lot going on here. Penn State now must figure out how to organize and nurture it.

The Questions

We asked this during the season: Who is Penn State's No. 1 receiver? That becomes an even bigger question in 2023.

Several players have the potential to assume the role, notably Lambert-Smith, Wallace, Saunders and one of the transfer receivers. The group is filled with situational receivers (speed, height, possession, etc.) but lacks the go-to alpha like Jahan Dotson. Meanwhile, Ohio State curates alphas annually.

This is where Franklin wants to push Penn State's offense and likely why he made the coaching change. Again, Hagans steps into a lot of pressure because of that.