Penn State third-year receiver moves on from program
Tyler Johnson, a third-year receiver coming out of his redshirt sophomore season, is no longer with the Penn State football program. Blue White Illustrated has confirmed the exit and it is reflected on the team’s online roster.
Johnson, a former On3 Industry Ranking three-star recruit out of the Class of 2022, did not record a reception during his three seasons with the program. Listed at 6-foot, 185 pounds out of Martinsville, Va., Johnson was considered the No. 88 overall receiver in the recruiting cycle and the 15th-ranked prospect to come out of Virginia.
His departure coincides with another receiver who has also left the program, Mehki Flowers. Concurrently, the Nittany Lions have welcomed two receivers into the program via the transfer portal this cycle. They include Devonte Ross, a true senior out of Troy coming out of an All-Sun Belt campaign, and Southern Cal’s Kyron Hudson, who also has one more season of eligibility remaining.
Penn State receivers room experiences shift
With the departures of Johnson and Flowers, a near-complete transformation of the Penn State receivers room has taken place over the past two cycles. In total, the Nittany Lions have seen exits for KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Malick Meiga, Dante Cephas, Malik McClain, and Christian Driver.
After one bonus season coming from the transfer portal, Julian Fleming‘s stint with the Nittany Lions is also over. New to the program beyond Ross and Hudson the past two cycles include Tyseer Denmark, Peter Gonzalez, and Josiah Brown, plus Class of 2025 additions Matthew Outten, Lyrick Samuel, Jeff Exinor, and Koby Howard.
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Looking ahead
Meeting with reporters ahead of the Orange Bowl, Penn State head coach James Franklin detailed the progress he’d seen this season out of the group. Along with praise for Omari Evans, Franklin pointed to a change in tone within the room that had improved through the course of the year.
“We talked a lot in the preseason about that question mark and that position. We have felt like we’ve had the talent in that room but it needed to be developed. And they needed to run with it. And they have,” said Franklin. “To me, it’s exciting because we are adding more pieces to that room. But we feel like the foundation is finally in a place where we can win at the highest level, and it’s only going to get better. And those guys, again, they have got more games this season, and they have got more games in their future, and I think you’re going to see a bunch of draft choices come out of that room. I think there’s going to be some surprises this year, as well.
“So I think that’s probably something that has not been talked about enough is the development and the growth of our wide receiver room and that’s a credit to those kids and that’s a credit to the coaches. But I also think that’s harder said than done. Tuning out all the outside noise and putting the team first, and they have done a great job. I’m proud of them and I’m happy. I’m happy for them.”
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