Penn State parts ways with assistant Taylor Stubblefield

(Updated at 7:30 p.m to reflect statement from Penn State coach James Franklin.)

Penn State has decided on a change in direction at the wide receiver position coming out of the 2022 season. Assistant coach Taylor Stubblefield is no longer with the Nittany Lions, confirmed by the coach via Twitter.

Head coach James Franklin released a prepared statement to address the matter and the program’s next steps.

“I would like to thank Taylor for his efforts during his time with Penn State but feel it is in our program’s best interest to make a change at this time. I wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future,” Franklin said. The statement added that a national search for Stubblefield’s replacement will begin immediately.

Stubblefield just completed his third season with the program, arriving from Miami ahead of the 2020 campaign. His tenure was highlighted by the emergence of third-team All-American and first-round NFL Draft selection, Jahan Dotson. More recently, Stubblefield helped usher along the development of Parker Washington, who is expected to be a mid-round draft choice after declaring in December. 

Previous coaching stops before Penn State included Miami for the 2019 season, a two-year stint at the Air Force Academy, and Utah. But, notably upon his Penn State hiring, Stubblefield’s penchant for short professional stints followed him into the job. 

“We had a lot of conversations in hiring him about the stability aspect,” Franklin said in Feb. 2020. “We need stability, but he needs it, too. He hasn’t necessarily shown that in his career, so that’s something we both need right now. That helps.”

Penn State tenure for Taylor Stubblefield

As a player, Stubblefield was a decorated receiver at Purdue, twice finishing atop the Big Ten’s receptions chart. As a result, he was a first-team all-conference pick, an All-American, and a Biletnikoff finalist during his senior season in 2004. 

Though head coach James Franklin initially praised Stubblefield’s on-field coaching for its “aggressive” style and the feedback Penn State’s players provided, broad development at the position became a point of emphasis entering the 2022 season.

At the program’s preseason media day, Franklin said that, even with the departure of Dotson to the NFL last spring, Penn State had an opportunity to be better this season.

“I do feel like the group has the ability to match or exceed the production from the wide receiver unit last year. Now, whether it’s a one-for-one tradeoff, I’m not sure,” Franklin said. “But, if you look at the group last year and where KeAndre [Lambert-Smith] I think is going to be this year, and then the production that Mitch Tinsley has had in his career, and obviously Parker, we feel really good about that group. 

“The other thing that I think is important is that next unit. Again, the depth at that position, the depth is not even close compared to last year. There was a significant drop-off if we got into the second-team guys last year. And I don’t think that’s the case this year. So that will be important. Parker will provide a huge role there from a leadership and from a production standpoint.”

2022 receiver production

Coming out of the 2022 season, Penn State’s stats and snap counts told a different story from what Franklin had anticipated.

While Tinsley and Washington predictably finished atop the team’s targets list, the drop-off from there was severe. Lambert-Smith reeled in just 24 catches on 38 targets. And, Tre Wallace finished with just 19 catches on 35 targets.

The rest of the room saw the likes of Liam Clifford (8 catches on 11 targets), Omari Evans (5 on 10), and Malick Meiga (3 on 5) offer little in the way of production.

As a result, Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich set an offseason blueprint in which he was determined to see significant development out of the group. That applied to its grasp of the opportunity at hand. And, it also dealt with the necessity of their improvement for the program’s future success.

“Whether they get it or not, it’s my job that they get it. So they better get it,” Yurcich said. “I think a lot of it, when you’re dealing with these guys is building your confidence up. Make sure that you’re coaching them hard and we’re getting the job done and you’re developing them. But also, building their confidence up to where they believe in themselves.”