Is Penn State Getting Its Best Production at Receiver, Linebacker?

Entering the season, receiver and linebacker were two intriguing positions for Penn State. Now, they're in different spaces.

Penn State receiver Julian Fleming catches a pass before he is stopped by USC Trojans cornerback John Humphrey in the second half of a Big Ten game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Entering the season, two Penn State position groups proved intriguing: wide receiver and linebacker. Midway through 2024, those positions are in different spaces.

Wide receiver was one of Penn State’s biggest question marks in August. With the lack of a proven No. 1 receiver, would quarterback Drew Allar have the weapons he needed to lead the Nittany Lions to the playoff? With the season's second half set to begin, Penn State coach James Franklin said he has been “pleased and impressed” with his receivers during the team's 6-0 start.

Allar still doesn’t have a true go-to wide receiver — if anything that’s tight end Tyler Warren, who leads the team in catches, yards and touchdown receptions. Instead, Allar has spread the ball to a quartet of receivers, all of whom have had big individual performances this season. 

Tre Wallace leads the group in catches and yards, including 117 yards and two touchdowns against West Virginia. Omari Evans has been the team’s deep threat and had 116 yards and a 59-yard score against Kent State. Liam Clifford went for a career-high 107 yards against UCLA, and Julian Fleming had two clutch fourth-down catches in the comeback against USC. 

While no single receiver jumps off the stat sheet, Franklin said the number of weapons Penn State uses has given opposing defenses a lot to handle. 

“I think that’s helpful too, that a number of different guys have been impactful and making plays for us, which I think puts some challenges on the defense in that there’s not just one guy,” Franklin said. 

Franklin said the depth at wide receiver is especially important with the emergence of Warren at tight end. He said he expects Warren to “get a ton of attention moving forward,” which potentially will free 1-on-1 opportunities for other pass-catchers. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said the receivers have been a resilient group and have shown up when it mattered.

“They’re totally embodying what I talked about earlier, playing with a chip on their shoulder, wanting to go out there and do a great job,” Kotelnicki said during the bye week. “And here we are at the midway point of the season, and those guys are still getting better, they’re still wanting to improve, so I’ve been very pleased with what they’ve done so far.” 

On defense, linebacker has gone from an offseason strength to a position that’s being forced to rely on its depth. With Abdul Carter’s move from linebacker to defensive end, Kobe King and Tony Rojas have become the leaders at the position. Behind them are veterans Dom DeLuca and Tyler Elsdon, with redshirt freshmen Ta’Mere Robinson and DaKaari Nelson rounding out the group. 

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen said “the sky’s the limit” for Rojas, though he wants to see the sophomore continue to develop and play cleanly. 

“He can be as great as he wants to be, because he’s got size and speed, and he’s got a really good football mind and he cares a ton, and so that’s a great combination,” Allen said. “He’s a guy that we were super high on going into the season, and rightly so, he’s proved why, but he’s still young, and he’s gotta continue to eliminate those mistakes.”

Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas pursues Bowling Green running back Justin Pegues during a game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Robinson and Nelson are other young players who have earned playing time, with Nelson impressing the coaching staff after moving from safety to linebacker this offseason. Nelson has made just two tackles this year but has continued to get more playing time as the season has progressed. 

“I think the development of DaKaari has been big," Franklin said. "That is something I think he’s really flourishing in right now, and there’s been a lot of conversation about it as well, but doing some great things for us on special teams and is probably playing better at the linebacker position for a guy that’s never done it before than maybe we anticipated."

An already thin position group has dealt with long-term injuries, notably to redshirt sophomore Keon Wylie, and the short-term absences of DeLuca and Robinson. With six more weeks of Big Ten play ahead, plus the postseason, Allen stressed the importance of building linebacker depth down the stretch. 

“We’ve got to get some of these younger guys just to step up and to elevate their play and to create the depth you’re talking about, that we know we have to have moving forward into the second half of the regular season and into the postseason,” Allen said.

Penn State (6-0) visits Wisconsin (5-2) on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson