Penn State's Receivers Deploying Doubt as Motivational Tool

Receivers coach Marques Hagans expects big things from the position this season.

Penn State wide receiver Harrison Wallace III catches a touchdown pass against Ole Miss in the 2023 Peach Bowl. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Like last year, Penn State football begins the 2024 season with plenty of lingering questions about its wide receivers. But a year later, second-year receivers coach Marques Hagans is deploying those questions as a motivational tool.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't matter, because what we do is important to us," Hagans said. "We take pride in our performance and contributing to helping us win championships. So to say we don't hear it or it doesn't matter, I'd be lying to you. So we hear it and we use it as motivation."

Penn State brings a retooled receivers room into 2024, having lost four players to the NCAA Transfer Portal and bringing in one. Yet the Nittany Lions are looking toward program veteran Harrison Wallace III, Kaden Saunders and Liam Clifford to join Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming to refresh the position's outlook. Hagans said he already has seen a change in the group's "culture."

"But that's not everything to us," Hagans said. "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."

Penn State's receivers combined for just nine touchdown receptions last year and, as a group, averaged just 131.4 yards per game. While Penn State coach James Franklin has said multiple times that he believes in the position group, Franklin also is looking for more production. He calls it the "next step."

"I love our wide receivers," Franklin said. "They have a bunch of talent in the room. I think they got a chance to take the next step. I believe they're going to take the next step. I think Marques has done a really good job this spring. This summer is going to be really important. The positive thing is in college football you can improve in the passing game in the summer. We're going to do those things. We believe in them."

Wallace, who fought injuries in 2023, had a strong Blue-White Game, making five catches for 72 yards. Saunders, Clifford and Omari Evans return more experienced. The Lions also hope Fleming makes a significant impact on the field. He has done so already in the receivers room.

"I think he blends in well with the other guys," Hagans said of Fleming. "And I don't want to make it a thing where we're going to be such a different group because he's joined. I think he [feels] very fortunate to be here. He's been humbled throughout the whole process. And I think we have a really good group of guys that, as a receiver corps, will do a really good job this year. I don't want to make it just about him. I think the guys in that room have really bought in and have a lot of pride in the performance that we're going to put toward the team this year. So I think collectively, he's embraced a group that was already here."

After the Blue-White Game, Franklin reiterated that he has "all the faith in the world" in the receivers. However, he publicly nudged them to take a more productive role in the offense.

"We've got to take the next step and I saw them take a step this spring," Franklin said. "We’re going to be taking another step this summer. The positive thing is, you can really improve defensively and offensively in the passing game over the summer. It's hard to do that in the run game. I think we're going to be very specific on the things we're working on and how we're training and developing. We have the talent in the room."

"The reality is, we've got to take this next step and we've got to do it on a consistent basis. And we've got to make plays against all the people on our schedule. All those guys are in the locker room for a reason. We have belief in those guys."

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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 X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.