On3 Roundtable: Penn State wide receiver room remains a work in progress

Everyone knows how dangerous the Penn State rushing attack is going to be. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton both return to lead the Nittany Lions offense. But at some point, the passing game is going to be called upon, with first-year starter Drew Allar mixing with some unknowns at wide receiver.

Step one for head coach James Franklin will be finding a way to replace Parker Washington. A huge loss for Penn State from last year, his versatility was vital for offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

Finding someone to replicate his role will be a major challenge, something Sean Fitz of On3’s Blue White Illustrated calls a “work in progress.”

“I think you look at the body of work they’ve put together — Parker Washington is gone,” Fitz said when joining the On3 Roundtable. “He was so consistent for Penn State over the last couple of years and wasn’t the biggest play guy but a guy you could turn to to move the sticks, guy you could turn to inside out, play the slot. They’re going to have to figure out a way to replace him.”

For Fitz, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is who Penn State is going to turn to. Someone he hears a lot about from people in State College, Lambert-Smith could emerge into WR1.

“Keandre Lambert-Smith is the guy I keep looking to,” Fitz said. “He’s got all the tools. You ask people in that building who is one of the most naturally talented in the team and Keandre Lambert-Smith is a guy that always pops up. If he can become that No. 1 like they think he can, that changes some things. I’m looking forward to see the progress he’s making to see if he can fill that potential.”

Lambert-Smith finished with 24 receptions a season ago, recording 389 yards and four touchdowns. A big number increase is expected if he can emerge as Allar’s main man.

Penn State has multiple bodies ready to perform

Two other players stand out to Fitz, one of them being Harrison Wallace. Described as a “very, very athletic guy” there are still some fine-tuning Wallace must put on his game. Any kind of consistency would be a net positive for Penn State.

And then you can turn to Omari Evans who can be described with one word — speed.

“Harrison Wallace, they’re very high on in the program,” Fitz said. “Very, very athletic guy. Just going to have to put it together in terms of catching and consistency. And then I think the guy you look to as a potential wildcard is Omari Evans.

“There’s not a ton of true 4.3 guys floating around and Omari Evans is one of those guys. Can he be a guy that breaks it deep? Can he be a guy they use in the run game to spread things out? He came on in the end of spring and they think he can fill in that third, fourth receiver role.”

Franklin is not solely relying on in-house receivers to replace Washington. He hit the NCAA transfer portal, landing Dante Cephas out of Kent State. Cephas is somebody making a huge jump to the Power Five level but has been a 1,000-yard receiver in the MAC.

Big-time schedule to prepare wide receivers

Penn State starts the year with quite a bang. Rival West Virginia will be waltzing into Beaver Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 2. And then two of the next three games are against Big Ten opponents, not wasting any time to get the party started.

Big moments are going to occur early on for the Nittany Lions receivers. Learning to thrive in them is going to be the difference offensively, especially when making a certain road trip later in the year.

“They have that September schedule where they can get Drew Allar comfortable,” Fitz said. “Get these guys, get their feet wet in big situations with the home opener against West Virginia under the lights. Iowa a couple of weeks later for Whiteout. There are big stages for these guys to grow up on.

“And they’re going to have to because they go to Columbus in October.”