James Franklin Sets Challenge for Penn State's Receivers

'I wouldn’t say anybody has really separated themselves from the pack yet,' Franklin says.

The most fascinating position group of Penn State's 2023 roster continues sorting itself through an intense training camp. New faces and proven players take daily turns in the spotlight., consistency remains a challenge and the group is running in a tight pack. The Lions field as many as eight receivers who will contribute this season, though coach James Franklin is looking for someone to begin branding themselves more singularly.

"I would say it’s one of those deals where there’s a different guy, or maybe a different two guys, every day who’s flashing, and I wouldn’t say anybody has really separated themselves from the pack yet," Franklin told reporters after a recent practice in State College. "But I do think there’s a large group of guys that can play in games, and we can win with. You’d like for somebody to separate themselves from the pack a little bit more."

Receiver appears to be the position group upon Penn State's offense will pivot this season. The Lions are stacked at running back, tight end and on the offensive line, and quarterback Drew Allar is separating himself as the offense's primary director. If Penn State's receivers develop an assertive personality, and true standout, this offense could carry the team far.

Penn State has plenty of prospects. KeAndre Lambert-Smith is a big play waiting to happen, and Trey Wallace is another gifted field-stretcher. Omari Evans, Malick Meiga, Kaden Saunders, Liam Clifford, Anthony Ivey and Cristian Driver have demonstrated their skills during training camp. As have newcomers Malik McClain (North Carolina) and Dante Cephas (Kent State). They're all under the direction of first-year position coach Marques Hagans, who quickly has developed strong bonds with his players.

"I'm not a big micromanager of position coaches," offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. "They kind of define their own abilities in the meeting room. Hagans' relationships with players is over the top. Their production will be rewarded."

Yet Franklin is eager for this position group to assert itself more quickly. The Lions open the 2023 season Sept. 2 against West Virginia and face two potentially tricky Big Ten games in September at Illinois and vs. Iowa. The sooner Allar has a reliable rotation of receivers, the quicker he'll assert himself as a Big Ten quarterback. Which led Franklin to reiterate his primary point regarding the receivers during training camp.

"Again, there's a group we feel really good about," Franklin said. "Those two guys [Lambert-Smith and Wallace] in terms of being assignment sound, in terms of being able to make the routine play, being able to make the big play, there’s a lot of confidence in them. And there’s a lot of confidence in that other group. There’s just nobody that’s separated on a consistent basis."

One receiver to watch is Cephas, the Kent State transfer who landed on the Biletnikoff Award watch list. Cephas caught 130 passes for nearly 230 yards over the past two seasons, during which he played one of college football's wildest road schedules. At Kent State, Cephas visited Washington, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas A&M, Iowa and Maryland. So he arrived at Penn State in May with a Power 5 polish but still plenty to learn.

"The first day was kind of overwhelming because I was adjusting, even though I've been in the college world for a while," Cephas said. "They do things differently. They weightlifting was different, the energy, practices were more up-tempo."

Yurcich noted that the transition would take time. Cephas, who arrived at Penn State in May after graduating from Kent State, has been competing with the second unit while getting up to speed. But he's one of those "proven commodities," as Franklin said, who has Power 5 callouses from the road trips he has made. As a result, Yurcich expects Cephas to "learn and grow" during camp.

"But what we do know is that he won’t blink," Yurcich said. "He looks like a guy who’s going to be a little more ready, a lot more ready, than maybe a rookie would be. Because he's seen it. He’s had big-time game experience, he understand the competitive nature of this level and this game. It’s early to tell, but it’s headed in the right direction."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.