James Franklin: Penn State football WR will be out with a ‘long-term injury’

The Penn State football team hoped to get through fall camp without losing any players due to injury. However, the Nittany Lions have suffered a loss at the wide receiver position. James Franklin confirmed with the media on Tuesday evening that true freshman WR Peter Gonzalez will be out with a ‘long term” injury.

Peter Gonzalez enrolled at Penn State on May 13, 2024. As a member of the 2024 recruiting class, Gonzalez has been competing in his first fall camp with the Nittany Lions. However, his development has been put on pause due to an injury that he has suffered.

Gonzalez attended Catholic Central (Pittsburgh) where he was a blue-chip wide receiver in the 2024 cycle. According to On3, he held the ranking as the No. 8 player in the Keystone State and the No. 56 WR in the 2024 recruiting class. But now he will be recovering from an injury according to James Franklin.

“Peter has got a long-term injury,” Franklin said following Tuesday night’s practice. “Not short-term, I guess I would describe it. So, he’ll be out for a little bit, just so you guys know and you’re not asking me every week when you don’t see him out there. He’ll be out for a little bit.”

Gonzalez was making great progress

Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Just last Thursday, James Franklin provided an update on all three true freshmen wide receivers for the Penn State football team. When he spoke about Peter Gonzalez, Franklin raved about his preparation and IQ.

“Peter [Gonzalez] has been steady eddie, Franklin said. “Really smart, knows how to prepare. I think having a dad who played major college football and spent some time in the NFL [helps]. He is taking a really smart approach, very consistent.”

It was fellow 2024 recruiting class member Tyseer Denmark who Franklin had also praised following last Thursday’s practice.

“Tyseer [Denmark] has really flashed and done some really nice things,” Franklin said. “This is very very different so there’s still an adjustment period going on. There’s a pretty significant buzz in the program about him.”

Now, with Gonzalez sidelined with an injury suffered both Denmark and Josiah Brown should see more reps to aid in their development in the program.

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