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Penn State Football freshman wide receiver a lone bright spot

By Lawrence Santa Maria

Nov 7, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Parker Washington (3) runs with the ball after a catch against Maryland Terrapins defensive back Deonte Banks (33) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Parker Washington (3) runs with the ball after a catch against Maryland Terrapins defensive back Deonte Banks (33) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Penn State Football freshman receiver Parker Washington has been a lone bright spot of dismal start to the 2020 College Football season

Penn State Football fell to a dismal 0-3 Saturday afternoon after a shocking 35-19 home loss to the Maryland Terrapins. However, one bright spot emerges in the form of a freshman wide receiver.

After an ugly blowout loss to the Terps Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium, Penn State football not only shifts its focus to Nebraska, but the 2021 season. As you take inventory of the good, the bad, and the ugly through this three game stretch to start the season, one bright spot has emerged for 2020 and beyond.

Freshman wide receiver Parker Washington.

The freshman from Sugar Land, Texas was a surprise to many Penn State fans when he was listed as a starter on the initial depth chart released prior to week one. The former 4-star, top 300 recruit caught the eye, and more importantly, the trust of the coaching staff in training camp.

"He’s a very mature young man, he’s a very smart young man,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said during his week one press conference. “The offense makes sense to him and he can kind of connect dots with some things. He’s got a mature approach to meetings and practice.”"

Washington has seemingly matured week to week, becoming a bigger part of the game plan and passing attack each game It culminated with his best performance this past Saturday against Maryland, catching eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

At 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, you don’t think of Washington as a red zone threat, but he is proving that notion wrong. Both scores were jump balls thrown from Sean Clifford into the end zone where the young wide receiver went up and got it, wrestling it away from Terrapin defenders.

For the season, Washington has hauled in 14 receptions for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is second on the team in receiving to junior Jahan Dotson, who has dazzled with one handed catches and been quarterback Sean Clifford’s go to target.

However, as the 0-3 Nittany Lions start to look for playmakers for 2021 and beyond, it is a very real possibility Dotson jettisons for the NFL Draft this April, leaving the Nittany Lions once again, thin at wide receiver.

Parker certainly looks the part, as noted by coach Franklin in October.

"He’s almost built like a running back in a lot of ways, and he’s got elite ball skills and body control,” Franklin said."

The short term goal is for Penn State football to win out, finish 6-3 and get to the best bowl game possible. The long term goal is to answer as many questions as possible before they open the 2021 season at Wisconsin. Whether it is Sean Clifford, Te’quan Roberson or someone not even on the current roster, the 2021 Penn State quarterback seemingly has an answer to who his go to wide receiver will be.

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