Penn State Football: Position Grades versus Appalachian State
By Dylan Burd
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
The wide receivers and tight ends were all over the place in this game. At some points they were great, at other times I couldn’t even look.
Juwan Johnson dropped a wide-open pass right into his hands in the first quarter that would have gone for a first down. That was a huge play, as it completely halted any momentum Penn State had in the first quarter. Other than that play, he did play well, catching six passes for 67 yards.
K.J Hamler was the standout receiver in this game though. Many were pretty surprised when Hamler was listed as the starting slot receiver on the depth chart over Brandon Polk, but now everyone understands why. The “Human Joystick” caught a 46-yard bomb from Trace McSorley down the middle of the field in addition to his game-tying touchdown. It’s clear Hamler is going to be a great addition for this Penn State team.
The tight ends didn’t do much, as Danny Dalton caught one pass for two yards, and Jonathan Holland caught two for 36 yards. It’s clear that the loss of Mike Gesicki is going to be detrimental to the Nittany Lions in 2018, as he was their primary red zone target.
One major issue with the wide receivers in this game was their inability to block down field. Any screen pass or running play that was designed to the outside often went for five yards rather than 15-20 just because a receiver missed his block on a corner. If Penn State wants to have some big plays this year on those types of plays, the receivers are going to have make their blocks.