Penn State football has had problems at the receiver position for what feels like years, and coach James Franklin talked about a pair of true freshmen who could help change that.
Koby Howard and Matthew Outten are two guys Penn State signed in the winter and subsequently enrolled early.
Each of them committed to Penn State fairly late in the process, with Howard doing so last August and Outten— who had been committed to Virginia Tech— flipping in early September.
With Penn State losing its top two receivers from last season— Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans— to the transfer portal, there will be plenty of room for new stars to step up.
We’ll have to see if Howard and Outten can take advantage.
JAMES ON OUTTEN
Here’s what Franklin had to say about Outten.
“Outten’s like 212 pounds already,” he said. “When we watched him in high school, he was a wide receiver, he was a wildcat quarterback, he was a running back. He kind of did it all for them— punt returner, kick returner. Powerful guy, fast guy, explosive guy. We’ve seen the same things.
Franklin feels that this versatility is somewhat of a disadvantage in a way, since Penn State football wants him to focus solely on receiver now.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“But, for those very same reasons, he’s a little raw as a wide receiver,” he said. “So it’s great that we got him in here early. He’s doing really well. We’re excited about his future.”
JAMES ON HOWARD
For Franklin, an advantage Howard has over Outten is that he’s used to being strictly a receiver.
“He’s already 190-something pounds,” Franklin said. “Strong in the weight room, explosive. Wideout pretty much his whole life, so he’s a little more refined in those areas (than Outten).
Overall, Franklin is pleased with both players.
“Both have done a really nice job already for guys that should still be in high school,” he said.
Penn State’s spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 26 at 2.
