Penn State Football: Top-25 players of the James Franklin Era
By Brad Weiss
Penn State Football: Top-25 players of the James Franklin Era
16. player. 806. . Wide Receiver. Nittany Lions . K.J. Hamler
K.J. Hamler arrived at Penn State with a ton of hype surrounding him, as he was a four-star recruit, and played for the prestigious IMG Academy in the state of Florida. Hamler had to redshirt during his first season in Happy Valley, after tearing his ACL the year before, but once he got healthy, he became one of the bigger playmakers this program has ever seen.
Finally stepping onto the field as a redshirt freshman, Hamler made his presence felt right away, becoming a threat in the passing game, while also proving to be an elite return man. In his collegiate debut, his return against Appalachian State help set up the game-winning drive, while also hauling in a slant from Trace McSorley against Ohio State and taking it 93 yards to the house.
As a sophomore, Hamler continued to show what a tremendous playmaker he is, becoming the 19th player in school history with 3,000 all-purpose yards, and doing it in only two seasons. He had 33 catches of 20 yards or more, was a Maxwell Award semifinalist, and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.
He would go on to be a second-round selection of the Denver Broncos with the No. 43 pick overall after declaring early.