Penn State and the Goldilocks receiver revolution

Penn State receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield has a problem. But a good problem in his estimation; he has a very deep room. The Nittany Lions are losing one of their best assets on offense from the 2021 season in Jahan Dotson, but behind him is a mix of rising, battle-tested players and some unproven talent. “I want that problem. I want that. I want to be able to look and see, ‘Okay, my Z just ran a long ball. Bang. [A fresh player can] automatically go in, and we don’t have to change or adjust anything in terms of the game plan. Because we trust that second, that third [receiver], as just as much as the first. It’s a fascinating mix of players that Penn State fields at the receiver position. At one end, you have Canadian transplant Malick Meiga. He stands at 6-4 and runs like a Canadian Royal Mounted police officer on horseback. On the other end, you have 5-10 Parker Washington, who seemingly plays to the same size as Meiga with impressive acrobatic catches. But if you look back at the wideouts that Penn State has recruited under head coach James Franklin, you’ll notice an interesting trend. They’re getting smaller. Going after the traditional “X” receiver who stands at a towering 6-4, like Meiga, seems to be out of vogue. Why is that? Before we answer that question, let’s look back at the 2016 Penn State roster for comparison to illustrate what we’re discussing.