Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans talks areas for improvment, Dante Cephas' start, and more

Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans practiced what he preaches on Thursday during a ZOOM conference call with reporters. The first-year Nittany Lions assistant coach consistently brought up the word consistent, or some variation of it, when evaluating his group as a whole or speaking about individual players who are in his room.

How does he define the type of consistency he is looking for out of his pass catchers?

“I think we just got to continue to make plays in the pass game when our number’s called,” Hagans said. “But more importantly, we got to be more involved in finishing in the run game. I think the guys are doing a pretty good job on special teams, which is something that’s really important to our group as well. We put special teams before offense because that’s the selfless thing. And then we got to be more willing to finish in the run game and then win our one-on-one battles when our opportunities are called. Create separation, get open, make the plays, and make guys miss.

“And then another thing we got to do is continue to bring energy by celebrating with our teammates, being the first guys there when they score, and helping guys up off the ground. Just making sure that we understand that it’s a selfless group, and we put the team first and whatever the team needs us to do, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Hagans wants to see better work in the run game

Another consistent (we may match the 15 times he said it on Thursday) part of Hagans’ answers focused on wanting to see improvement when it comes to how his Penn State receivers block in the run game. That message came through loud and clear.

“I think, early on, we were involved in the running game,” Hagans said. “I think the last game [against Iowa], we were more active. But, we got to do a better job of being more physical and finishing on the perimeter as well. I do think a lot of times, when the big runs happen, it’s not only the o-line doing the job, tight ends doing the job, but receivers finishing their job on the outside.

“So when all those things work together, I think we have some really special running backs, and I think they deserve the opportunity to be one-on-one with defenders so they can make guys miss or run them over. And I think that’s when the big plays come. So, we got to continue to do a better job of not just being active, but now we got to work to finish on the perimeter so those big plays could happen.”

Focusing on a few Penn State receivers

We’ll relay Hagans’ thoughts on a few specific receivers in rapid-fire form below:

On KeAndre Lambert-Smith:

“I think for us, he’s just been consistent so far. He shows up every day ready to work, is consistent, and is working on being consistent. I think that’s something that will be very important for him and the receivers room. As long as he continues to do that, he showed up very motivated to show that he can be consistent. And, so far, he’s done that.”

On Liam Clifford:

“I think the way Liam shows up to work every day, and how he prepares and practices, and how he works, has been a huge consistency to our group,” Hagans said. “It’s allowing other guys to grow in that room, too. He leads by example. When you ask him to do something, he wants to be out front to lead the way and he’s not afraid to make mistakes. We talk about consistency over greatness, and he’s really consistent.”

More: Penn State vs. Northwestern Predictions: What should fans expect against Wildcats?

On Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans developing despite injuries:

“I think their confidence is continuing to grow,” Hagans said. “I think they’re getting better at a lot of the fundamental things that we’ve we’ve asked them to work on. So, I think with them, it’s just continuing to play as much as possible. The more they’re on the field, the more they continue to get better and grow confidence. So, just ensuring that all the little things are taken care of, and as long as they’re on the field, we feel like they continue to grow and get better.”

On Dante Cephas

“I think Dante’s best football is ahead of him,” Hagans said. “He’s starting to settle in, and kind of find his way. I think the offense is starting to slow down for him and he’s starting to grasp things better. Now, he can focus more on playing as opposed to thinking. So, I do think his best football is ahead of them. As he continues to show up, continues to work, continues to invest the time required outside of was necessary, I think his best football is ahead of him.

“We’re going to need that moving forward. So, I’m excited for him and who he can be. And, who he can help our group become. I look forward to him putting in that work to be able to prove that as we continue throughout the season.”