James Franklin grades true freshmen wide receivers through start of spring practice

Once again, Penn State football enters the offseason with questions at wide receiver. With 70% of the roster’s 2024 passing production no longer in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions will have to turn to new – and most likely young – faces to move the ball through the air this fall.

With spring practice in full swing, the Nittany Lions coaching staff now has the chance to assess several new additions to the program on the field. Speaking to the media this week, James Franklin expressed optimism with early enrollee receivers Matthew Outten and Koby Howard.

“Both of them are big physical guys,” Franklin said. “I mean, Outten’s like 212 pounds already. When we watched him in high school, he was a wide receiver, he was a wildcat quarterback, he was a running back. He kind of did it all – punt return, kick return. Powerful guy. Fast guy. Explosive guy. We’ve seen the same things. But for those very same reasons, he’s a little raw as a wide receiver. So, it’s great that we got him in here early. He’s doing really well; we’re excited about his future.

“Kobe – another guy [that is] more developed. He’s already 190-something pounds. Strong in the weight room, explosive. Has been playing wide out pretty much his whole life so he’s a little bit more refined in those areas. But both have done a really nice job already for guys that should still be in high school.”

A flip from Virginia Tech, Outten was rated as a top-10 athlete in the 2025 recruiting class. Howard ultimately graded out as a three-star by the end of the cycle, but the Sunshine State prospect picked Penn State football over in-state powers Florida and Florida State.

Penn State football looking to redshirt freshman receiver to step up in 2025

While true freshmen Outten and Howard are impressing in their first few weeks on campus, Penn State football is in need of more immediate help on the field in 2025. For that, Franklin and the Nittany Lions are turning to redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark.

Arriving in Happy Valley to much acclaim last summer, the former top-10 in-state recruit caught two passes for 28 yards and a score as a true freshman. But with the opportunity now in front of him, the Penn State offense is looking for Denmark to take the next step in his development this offseason.

“I think you guys saw, last year, flashes when you guys were at practice,” said Franklin. “That continued kind of all season. Same thing now. The big thing is for a lot of these young players is consistency. It’s physical consistency. It’s mental consistency. Those types of things.

“He’s got the ability to help us this year, and we need him to help us this year. It’s just we got to be more consistent. So again, I’m proud of him. I think he’s got a bright future. But nobody cares he’s a redshirt freshman. It’s time now. We need him to take that next step, and he is more than capable of being a big-time player in this league as a redshirt freshman.”

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