Duo of WRs become James Franklin’s difference makers for Penn State football offense

At the midway point of fall camp, Penn State football appears to have taken a step forward in its passing attack. The progress is largely due to the efforts of Nittany Lion wide receivers Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford, says James Franklin.

Speaking after Tuesday evening’s practice session, Franklin identified how the pair of receivers have impacted the entire offensive side of the ball over the last two weeks.

“I think it’s good,” Franklin said of the offense’s performance at this stage of training camp. “I think that the biggest thing is, Trey and Liam have really had a nice camp. And whether it’s the coaches, or whether it’s defensive players, or whether it’s Tom Allen in the team meeting today talking about the receivers’ improvement. But specifically, Trey and Liam, I think, have been pretty good. I think they’ve been probably the biggest difference.”

Separation from the pack?

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

For the last 18 months, the ask of the wide receivers from James Franklin has been for consistency and for a player, or group of players, to separate themselves from the rest of the room. Tuesday’s comments suggest a step in that direction.

Franklin and the Nittany Lions had high hopes for Harrison Wallace a season ago. However, injuries kept the now-redshirt junior sidelined for over a third of the year, limiting his production to a humble 228 yards and one score.

But “playing off the charts” this summer, in the words of safety KJ Winston, Wallace appears ready to make up for lost time in 2024.

“He’s in a really good place. He’s had a great summer so far,” said Franklin of Wallace in June. “He had a really good spring. And we’re expecting him to have a really big year for us. We need for him to have a really big year for us. He’s super athletic. Probably one of the most explosive guys we have in our program. And I think you guys saw flashes of that at times [last season].”

Also entering his redshirt junior year, Liam Clifford is coming off a 13-catch, 130-yard season in 2023. While likely not among the sexiest choices for many as a standout receiver, Clifford has become a reliable target this offseason – something Penn State football has desperately lacked.

Who else could step up for Penn State football?

Moving forward, Penn State football will still need other receivers to step up this fall. Julian Fleming, Omari Evans, and Kaden Saunders all have the potential to do that.

But whether it be because of injury, inexperience, or both, all of the Nittany Lions’ receivers – Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford included – will have to put something on tape that we haven’t seen this fall for the Penn State offense to truly take a step forward.

There’s also the youth movement. True freshman Tyseer Denmark has generated buzz since arriving on campus this summer. While James Franklin did acknowledge that the Imhotep graduate may be the closest freshman receiver to contributing this fall, when and how much is still to be determined.

On the less optimistic side, one true freshman we now know that we will not see for some time is Pittsburgh Central Catholic graduate Peter Gonzalez. Tuesday evening, Franklin announced that Gonzalez will miss an extended period with an undisclosed injury.

“Peter has got a long-term injury,” Franklin said. “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.”

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