Look it’s hard to sugarcoat this and I’m certainly not breaking news here but Penn State Football’s weakest position from a productivity standpoint last year was at Wide Receiver.
Nine different WRs combined for nine touchdowns all of last year and a paltry average of 131.4 yards per game.
To put that into a little perspective, nine FBS receivers averaged over 100 yards per game last year on their own.
To make things worse Penn State’s top wide-out from last year, Keandre Lambert-Smith, will be catching balls for the Auburn Tigers this upcoming season. The Nittany Lions also lost redshirt senior wide receiver Malick Meiga, when he announced he had committed to Coastal Carolina in early May through the transfer portal.
But the Portal that taketh away also giveth and it did just that when the Nits did land a pretty big name in former 5-star recruit, Julian Fleming, this offseason.
Why Penn State Football Believes 2024 Will Be Different at WR
Fleming had spurned head coach James Franklin and Penn State Football four years ago for greener astroturf in Columbus and the Ohio State Buckeyes. His college career has been riddled with injuries but he said he’s never been healthier heading into his final collegiate season.
So the room may not have gotten much more dynamic but what it has gotten is more mature says second-year wide receivers coach Marques Hagans and with that, a different culture has emerged.
“It’s everything,” Hagans said of his position’s culture, via Sports Illustrated. “It’s practice habits, it’s film habits, it’s eating habits, it’s practice, it’s watching film, it’s taking care of your body. It’s everything we do that exists, that gives us a chance to be the best group in the country. And there is no disrespect to anybody. But at some point, we’ve got to feel that way. And we’re going to work toward that. And that’s going to be the standard. If it’s not to be the best, then, you know, what was the point of doing it?”
And how much credit does newly acquired Julian Fleming get for the culture change?
“I think he’s kind of more embraced it as of the spring. Hagans said. “I think he felt his way in what it means to be here, what it means to be a Nittany Lion. And I think now he’s kind of helping build the culture, whereas before he was just trying to learn how to embrace it. And so I think the guys take a lot of pride in that. And I think it’ll show this year.”
Kaden Saunders is a player to watch this year, as Saunders enters his redshirt sophomore season.
Saunders only caught eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in his two years in Happy Valley, but will probably see much more playing time this year and he does have big play capability.
“He’s stronger, he’s more confident. And I think he’s more mature. He’s becoming the example of what you want the group to embody on a day-to-day basis, along with other guys.” said Hagans. “He’s not alone. But in particular to him, I would say that.” said his position coach. He also went on to say this about Liam Clifford, his third year guy who’s also set for a break-out year.
“Like Kaden, he’s the example. Every day you show up, you know exactly what you’re going to get from them. He’s going to lead the group, he’s going to set the example, he’s going to know what to do, how to do it and he’s going to push himself. He’s going to push guys, hold them accountable. He is what you want in a leader in that group, and I’m very grateful to be his coach.”
Hagans did admit that his players have heard the negative noise about them regarding last season and the outside criticism will be used as fuel going forward.
“We take pride in our performance and contributions to helping us win championships…we hear it and we use it as motivation. But that’s not everything to us. These guys that show up every day are part of the same team. The coaches, the staff, that’s what we try to focus on. But we’re only human, so we hear certain things. And for me, personally, yeah, you hear it. And I don’t want our guys to be associated with anything other than their best. And so that’s what we’re going to focus on every single day: being the best and putting the best product together that gives our team the best chance to win.”
MORE: Penn State’s Offensive Players with Most to Gain During Training Camp
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.