Penn State coach James Franklin gave no update on the status of receiver Parker Washington in his postgame press conference after the team’s 55-10 win over Rutgers Saturday in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Washington, who leads Penn State in receptions (46), yards (611) and yards per catch (13.3), didn’t travel to Rutgers. It was the first game he missed in his college career. He also wasn’t seen at practice the previous Wednesday in the media’s weekly viewing window.
Franklin told reporters he needed to speak with Washington. He wants to make sure everybody is on the same page before giving further information. That information could be revealed Tuesday in Franklin’s weekly press conference.
“I will have to wait until Tuesday to talk to you about Parker,” Franklin said. “I want to make sure I’m clar with what’s going on. I have not talked to Parker, so I’d like to be able to do that first, and then I’ll make sure I answer your question Tuesday.”
Franklin doesn’t normally announce injuries unless they’re season-ending.
Washington has been a big part of Penn State’s offense since beginning his college football career in 2020. He’s 12th on the school’s all-time receiving list and is 69 yards from passing O.J. McDuffie and moving into 11th. But he might not end up getting there. Penn State has just one regular-season game left, plus its bowl game, so Washington could well be out for the rest of the season if the injury is serious enough. Although Washington has additional eligibility, there’s a chance he will declare for the NFL Draft.
Even if Washington never plays another game at Penn State, his career will go down as a success.
After Jahan Dotson’s departure, Washington stepped in as Penn State’s No. 1 receiver, as Franklin expected him to.
“I don’t think there was any question of that based on what he had done last year and the year before,” Franklin told reporters at his weekly Tuesday press conference Nov. 1. “He was coming into the season, and he was the most established wideout we had at Penn State on our roster. Mitch (Tinsley) had done some good things in his career but not yet at Penn State.”
If Washington is out, Tinsley will be Penn State’s No. 1. KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be the No. 2, and Harrison “Trey” Wallace the third starter.
