Who can step up to be the No. 1 wide receiver for Penn State football in 2023?

We’ve already examined arguably the two most exciting positions on the field for Penn State this coming season in quarterback and running back, and now it’s time to move on to the position that presents the biggest question mark for the Nittany Lion offense moving forward.

Their top two wide receivers are on to the National Football League and now they’ll have to replace them.

Let’s take a look at how the position could shake out in 2023.

Projected starters: Redshirt senior Dante Cephas, junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith, redshirt sophomore Harrison Wallace III

The Nittany Lions need a top receiver to step up, and there are a few internal options from last year’s team, but none are better than Cephas. The redshirt senior — who has two years of eligibility remaining because of the COVID year — is transferring in from Kent State as by far the most proven player in the room for Penn State. Cephas isn’t an elite athlete but is a great route runner with good hands who has a good feel for playing the position. He excels at getting open and creating enough separation for his quarterback to find him when he’s open. Fortunately for him and for Penn State, he has a quarterback in Drew Allar who has a rocket for an arm who can fit passes into tight windows. Cephas could play two years with the young signal caller and this year should prove to be a fruitful one even if it’s the only one.

The best internal candidate to be the top option is Lambert-Smith and there is reason to believe he could bypass Cephas — even if I don’t think that will be the case. He’s a high level athlete, giving him more upside than Cephas, and has elite burst in and out of cuts. Lambert-Smith can get open with ease, excels in the open field and has the breakaway speed to be a major downfield threat. The flaw, however, is a glaring one. The junior struggles to catch passes at times, but not for lack of ability. His drop issues have long been attributed to focus and his ability to let the previous play go. Former wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefied mentioned that as the problem and so did the receiver himself. He’s had a role for long enough that it would seem like an issue that should be in the rearview mirror by now — it will have to be if he wants to be the top option in the offense this year. He also seems like the odds-on favorite to be the slot receiver, giving him better matchups against nickel cornerbacks.

Wallace was one of two receivers head coach James Franklin frequently mentioned during spring ball as standing out — with Lambert-Smith being the other. He’s the most explosive athlete of the group, showing the ability to be an elite downfield threat by meeting the ball at its highest catchable point and fighting for it with his hand strength. Wallace has the explosion to lose defenders when he’s running in the open field but needs to work on managing his athleticism into his route running more. That being said, he still has more upside than any receiver in the room because his flaw is the most easily fixable and can be attributed directly to his youth and lack of experience. Wallace is a player to watch this year and could flash his potential this season before breaking out as a high level receiver in 2024.

There’s reason to believe in any of the three starters stepping up to be a true No. 1 this season depending on personal preference, and it seems likely that one of the three will emerge and eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier this season. In fact, with the team’s quarterback play, there’s a world where two crack the 800-yard mark this season much like the 2021 season when Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington did the same.

Key backups: Sophomore Omari Evans, redshirt sophomore Liam Clifford, junior Malik McClain

There’s a clear line of demarcation in the middle of the backups at Penn State. Evans is clearly the No. 4 receiver right now and seems to be closer to the top three than No. 5. He’s a true burner, displaying the long speed to blow past even the fastest corners in college football. There needs to be more refinement as a route runner and in his ability to find space within a zone defense, but Evans is a good enough athlete to make major strides in his second season playing in college football. If any of the top three are unavailable to play, he’s the most likely candidate to replace them with a potential for re-shuffling of where the starters play based on that.

Clifford and McClain fall into a much larger bucket that could fit several other receivers — including the freshman to watch at the position — but both have reason to be at the top of this subgroup.

The former is entering his third season as a Nittany Lion and played in 12 games last year. He’s versatile enough to play inside or outside and showed flashes last season to give reason for hope. He’s a good athlete but needs to work on his pass-catching, but has enough size to be a formidable option in the middle of the field. McClain is a downfield threat, almost exclusively, as a long-strider with a 6-foot-4 frame he can go up and get the ball while having the speed to beat his man on the outside. His issues are in short areas, where he struggles to change direction abruptly, and with getting away from defenders unless he’s running downfield.

Clifford and McClain should end up seeing plenty of snaps this season, but while they’ll likely be the top backups to begin the season, there’s room for both to improve or be replaced by younger players late in the season.

Freshman to watch: Redshirt freshman Kaden Saunders

Saunders has a legitimate chance to crack into the top group and make it a top five rather than a top four this coming season. He’s a former five-star recruit who is on the shorter side at 5-foot-10, but has the short area quickness, hands and route running that point to him being a potential all-conference player down the road. Not only that, but he’s excellent with the ball in his hands, making it difficult for opponents to get their hands on him to bring him down, and does a good job of finding gaps in the defense once he has the ball. Saunders could be the backup slot receiver as early as the team’s season opener against West Virginia, but even if he’s not he’s the perfect candidate to go from the middle/lower third of the depth chart to the top group by the end of the season.