Wide receiver Malik McClain transferred to Penn State in 2023 after two seasons at Florida State before quickly jumping back into the portal last offseason. McClain only caught six passes as a Nittany Lion but was still a noticeable loss from a roster devoid of wide receiver talent in 2024.
The 6-foot-4 200-pound junior landed at Arizona State with one season of eligibility remaining, and head coach Kenny Dillingham’s plan was for him to redshirt with eyes to 2025. McClain played fewer than four games in the regular season, qualifying for an additional year of eligibility, but when star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson went down with a season-ending injury in Week 14, McClain became a starter for the Big 12 Championship Game and beyond.
He caught one pass for 43 yards in the Sun Devil’s blowout win over Iowa State on December 7, and with nearly a month to prepare for the Peach Bowl, was an even bigger part of the gameplan. He played a season-high 48 snaps against Texas on New Year’s Day and nearly became an ASU legend.
Despite seeing a season-high five targets, again McClain only hauled in one pass, this time for a 42-yard touchdown thrown by running back Cam Skattebo to cut the deficit from 16 to only eight points in the fourth quarter.
TRICKY TRICKY SUN DEVILS LOOK AT SKATTEBO pic.twitter.com/MFO0vUAuyc
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) January 1, 2025
ASU eventually dragged the game to overtime but fell 39-31 in double OT. It was an unforgettable season for the Sun Devils and the Skattebo-McClain trick play would have lived on forever if it led to an upset of the Longhorns as double-digit underdogs in the Peach Bowl.
Penn State didn’t appear to have a logjam of wide receiver talent in 2023, but both KeAndre Lambert-Smith and McClain made significant impacts elsewhere after transferring away while the Nittany Lions continue to struggle for consistent play on the outside.