James Franklin confident in return of Penn State playmakers for Big Ten Championship

Penn State football has battled through injuries all season long on the way to its unexpected appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. But as kickoff in Indianapolis grows closer, the Nittany Lions feel there is a high likelihood they will see two key contributors return to the field against the top-ranked Oregon Ducks.

Speaking to the media for the final time before Saturday’s title tilt, James Franklin expressed optimism that redshirt junior receiver Harrison Wallace III and sophomore cornerback Elliot Washington II will be back in action.

“Good,” Franklin said on Wednesday when asked to assess his confidence level regarding the return of both Nittany Lions. “But as you guys know, I don’t get into a whole lot of that kind of stuff unless it’s a long-term injury.

“But we have confidence that both of those guys will be available to play. I think you saw them both out here contributing today [during practice].”

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Harrison Wallace did not appear in last Saturday’s regular season-finale against Maryland. He leads all Nittany Lion receivers and is second on the team with 35 receptions for 579 yards. Wallace and Omari Evans are the only two Penn State receivers with multiple touchdown receptions this year.

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Across the line of scrimmage, Elliot Washington has missed the last two games after exiting in the first half against Purdue. He has 19 tackles, one-interception, and a team-best five pass breakups in 2024.

Both Nittany Lions will face the strength of the Ducks when on the field. Oregon ranks No. 14 nationally (No. 2 Big Ten) with 278 passing yards per game while allowing just 172 yards through the air on defense, good enough for No. 8 in the country and No. 4 in the conference.

Penn State football and Oregon will face off at 8 p.m. Saturday night on CBS.

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