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
DaeSean Hamilton. 12. player. 806. . Wide Receiver. Nittany Lions
James Franklin and DaeSean Hamilton’s careers at Penn State are joined at the hip, as they both made their debuts for the program in 2014. For Hamilton, he would go on to be one of the more consistent, and productive wide receivers in program history, putting together four solid seasons in Happy Valley before heading to the NFL.
Hamilton started his career by racking up nearly 900 yards as a true freshman, twice earning Freshman of the Week honors for his production. As his career went on, he and Chris Godwin formed one of the best wideout duos in the history of the Big Ten, as the Nittany Lions terrorized opponents through the air every week. Throughout his four seasons, Hamilton became the No. 3 leading receiver in Penn State history, racking up 2,842 yards.
When all was said and done, Hamilton put together some incredible statistics, catching a pass in 51 of the 53 games he played in, averaged 13.3 yards per reception, and passed Deon Butler for the school’s record for receptions with 214. He helped turn the Penn State football program back into a winner, and when he moved on to the NFL, he trailed only Bobby Engram in receiving yards.