Penn State Football WRs: The Injured, The Leader, The Standouts

Penn State Football is now fully entrenched in fall camp ahead of the Nittany Lions‘ August 31 season opener at West Virginia.

Coming out of the 2023 season, the Nittany Lions were fully focused on revamping a wide receiver room that struggled in 2023, seeing two players transfer out, adding a Big Ten veteran into the mix, and seeing three new freshmen enter the room hoping to make an early impact.

Now two weeks into camp, here is what is coming out of the wide receiver room ahead of a pivotal 2024 campaign for Penn State Football

“Long-term” injury to freshman receiver

Freshman in-state wide receiver Peter Gonzalez just got to campus a few weeks ago, hoping to make an impact in year one for Penn State Football.

Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions and Gonzalez, those plans were derailed two weeks into camp as James Franklin announced Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Central Catholic standout will “be out for a little bit” with a “long-term injury.” Franklin did not give further details about the extent of the injury or a timeline for return but perhaps importantly did not use the words season ending during the announcement.

WR Peter Gonzalez will be “out for a little bit” with a longterm injury, Franklin said

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) August 13, 2024

Two Wide Receivers Standing Out in Camp

Penn State Football — Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports)

With Penn State looking for receivers to stand out from the crowd ahead of the season, head coach James Franklin mentioned after practice Tuesday that Harrison Wallace III and Liam Clifford have been the “biggest difference” on offense so far in camp.

Franklin complemented both, stating that both “have really had a nice camp.”

In 2023, Harrison Wallace III missed significant time with injuries, playing only eight games for the Nittany Lions, recording stats in only five of those games. In those five games, Wallace III caught 19 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown, including a seven-catch 72-yard performance in the opener against West Virginia, leading all wide receivers in catches, and catching four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Peach Bowl loss to Ole Miss.

Despite playing all 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2023, Liam Clifford recorded only 13 catches on the season for 130 yards.

James Franklin said WRs Harrison Wallace III and Liam Clifford have been the “biggest difference” on offense this preseason. Said both have had a nice camp pic.twitter.com/miKzrhieJn

— Seth Engle (@bigsengtweets) August 13, 2024

<< BUY PENN STATE TICKETS FOR 2024 SEASON >>

Veteran Leader in the Room

Julian Fleming, Penn State Football, Penn State Nittany Lions — Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Julian Fleming (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports)

Former five-star Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming came to Penn State from a completely different situation than the Nittany Lions are used to in the wide receiver room, where four of his former wide receiver teammates were drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.

After practice Tuesday, Fleming spoke on this and how that experience in the Ohio State wide receiver room could help Penn State in 2024. Fleming noted that sitting behind “a lot of first-round receivers and a lot of future hall of fame receivers” he has been able to pick out pieces of the game from each of them and “how their life outside of football aligned with their life in football and that championship mindset.”

Fleming continued that he “took a little bit” from everyone in that Ohio State wide receiver room and “brought it” with him, noting that he believes that will “constantly be able to help improve [Penn State’s] team.”

Julian Fleming on being the veteran in Penn State’s WR room. What do we feel about the captions I included? pic.twitter.com/yQlUyNjkAZ

— Colin Crissey (@ColinPat3) August 14, 2024

What does quarterback Drew Allar think about this year’s wide receivers?

Penn State Football, Drew Allar — Penn State Football QB Drew Allar holds the key to the Nittany Lions’ upside in 2024. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)

After quarterback Drew Allar and the wide receivers struggled to be on the same page at times last season, Allar noted Tuesday that the wide receiver unit in 2024 is playing at a “whole other level” this camp. Allar continued “it’s been really fun to see everybody’s progression in that room, like, everybody has taken the next step.”

Drew Allar said Penn State’s WR unit is playing at a “whole other level.”

“It’s been really fun to see everybody’s progression in that room, like, everybody has taken the next step”

— Seth Engle (@bigsengtweets) August 13, 2024

With the season fast approaching, Penn State fans will soon see just how much the Nittany Lions wide receiver room has improved in 2024. Taking the next step at wide receiver could play a massive role in Penn State finally breaking through and reaching the college football playoff for the first time in 2024.