On "Josh Pate's College Football Show" Tuesday night, Pate talked one-on-one with Penn State head coach James Franklin. Before sitting down with Franklin, he pinpointed specific players or position groups across college football that will be deciding factors in whether a team is a serious contender for a national championship.
The Nittany Lions have the run game, the offensive line, an experienced quarterback, and breakout defensive players. What they didn't have last year was obvious, and the wide receiver room has been highlighted to be one of the most defining groups of Penn State's 2025 season. Pate agreed, and he assured fans on Tuesday's episode that what he saw at practice won't disappoint.
Penn State is confident in its wide receiver room and the impact it'll have on the 2025 season
Pate saw the reps the wide receivers from young guys to transfers contest for catches. It was obvious to him that the Nittany Lions are confident in what they have in the passing game and that they know they have the players that will fight for receptions. On top of that, they have Drew Allar's confidence in passing to these receivers now even if they're not wide open. Confidence and trust is going to redefine what Penn State's capable of on offense this season.
"That didn't happen a whole lot last year . . . What if [they] had that in the Notre Dame game?" Pate said. ". . . Maybe none of these guys will ever have a double-digit reception game. It's really not Penn State's identity anyways, but what if they make you respect them enough where you're not just focused on one guy — last year, it was Tyler Warren — [but] you're focused on several guys that are a legit threat to have the ball thrown to them any down.
". . . What does that do for the run game? Wide receivers heavily impact the high-end potential of this ground game this year. Not to mention the passing game, which is obvious, but . . . it's going to come down to a couple of key moments, a couple of key spots where you need a drive, a couple of key third-and-seven pluses where [Allar] just [has] to trust a guy to go up and fight for one."
Even without Warren, too, Penn State isn't worried about its tight end room. Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds aren't going to individually fill the shoes of the now-Indianapolis Colt. However, the Nittany Lions don't need one guy, especially with the upgrades at wide receiver. A single, consistent target shouldn't be expected. It won't just be the three wide receiver transfers, Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross, and Kyron Hudson, to keep your eye on this season on offense.