Football OPINION: Wide Receiver Will Be a Strength for Penn State Football in 2025

[Richie O]

Via @Colin_Crissey

OPINION: Wide Receiver Will Be a Strength for Penn State Football in 2025

There has been a lot said about Penn State's wide receiver corps over the past year, but this season could be a big one.

pennstate.rivals.com

 

[Wallace Breen]

I love the author's assertion that Franklin turns weaknesses into strengths. He also tends to turn strengths into weaknesses at a higher rate. Sometimes due to poor or limited coaching, sometimes due to poor player identification and recruiting. Receiver has been on a downward trend since Franklin took over. Hopefully last year was rock bottom but expecting second tier transfers to turn a weakness into a strength is a leap.

 

[tboyer]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

 

[Crusher1950]

Doing it and talking about it are 2 different things, show me guys

 

[Wallace Breen]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

Assuming the line is a strength (I don't think it is a weakness) do you think that radically changing the offensively philosophy and approach (man, zone, gap) with every hire at OC has had a positive or negative impact on the unit?

 

[PennState_one]

AK will use whatever he feels is the strength of the offense.

 

[ryoder1]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

Let's hold off on declaring our WR group top 20 until we actually see them in action vs secondaries with a pulse. Talk to me after Oregon. Last season we were excited about Wallace, Evans and Fleming and it didn't pan out.

 

[summitlion1]

Assuming the line is a strength (I don't think it is a weakness) do you think that radically changing the offensively philosophy and approach (man, zone, gap) with every hire at OC has had a positive or negative impact on the unit?

Wallace, I've been responding to your posts for a few weeks, asking you questions to no avail. But, maybe you'll answer this. Is there anything positive you can say about Franklin's tenure at PSU? Try hard, you can do it.

 

[MacNit2.0]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

Top 20? Dream on. With Troy and U$C retreads? We have absolutely nothing that is proven at WR.

And PSU does not have the best Oline in college football. But they are finally serviceable and seem to be getting better.

You will know when we are there when we can impose our will. This would be the year as we have two very good/greatcRBs. Would help if we could develop a vertical passing game. Will really hurt to lose TE1. Just does not seem to be happening with Allar - hopefully he can finally “arrive.”

 

[ryoder1]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

Let's hold off on declaring our WR group top 20 until we actually see them in action vs secondaries with a pulse. Talk to me after Oregon. Last season we were excited about Wallace, Evans and Fleming and it didn't pan out.

 

[baircub1!]

Position group strength rises and falls at every program. And some units take years to rebuild -- PSU has gone from probably the worst major-college OL (due to sanctions) to one of the best, and it's taken 10 years to do it.

At the top levels of college football, games hinge on weakness probably more than they hinge on strengths. One thing coaches do very well is exploit an opposing team's weak unit. So the teams that really compete for championships are almost always well rounded -- basically no significant weakness. Ohio State not only had great players all over the field, they had no weak unit. They had nothing you could attack.

Penn State has the potential to be one of those well-rounded teams this fall. They may not have a top 10 D-line but they'll have a good one barring a string of injuries. They may not have a top 10 receivers group but that is a possibility now, and almost certainly it will be a top 20 receivers group.

Thank you for this rationale post…the consistent bashing of players and coaches by the same people over and over quite frankly,, is just boring…appreciate your thoughtful response.

 

[LMTLION]

Wallace, I've been responding to your posts for a few weeks, asking you questions to no avail. But, maybe you'll answer this. Is there anything positive you can say about Franklin's tenure at PSU? Try hard, you can do it.

Don’t bother. He is a troll.

 

[bvillebaron]

I love the author's assertion that Franklin turns weaknesses into strengths. He also tends to turn strengths into weaknesses at a higher rate. Sometimes due to poor or limited coaching, sometimes due to poor player identification and recruiting. Receiver has been on a downward trend since Franklin took over. Hopefully last year was rock bottom but expecting second tier transfers to turn a weakness into a strength is a leap.

Nice to see you have returned with your usual negativism Captain Sunshine. You weren’t missed.

 

[bvillebaron]

Top 20? Dream on. With Troy and U$C retreads? We have absolutely nothing that is proven at WR.

And PSU does not have the best Oline in college football. But they are finally serviceable and seem to be getting better.

You will know when we are there when we can impose our will. This would be the year as we have two very good/greatcRBs. Would help if we could develop a vertical passing game. Will really hurt to lose TE1. Just does not seem to be happening with Allar - hopefully he can finally “arrive.”

Anyone who thinks PSU’s offensive line is merely serviceable is a clown.