As the Penn State offense has continued to struggle, fans and media alike have wondered what it would take to get true freshman receiver Koby Howard on the field, and interim coach Terry Smith addressed the topic during his weekly presser Monday afternoon.
Howard, a blue-chip recruit known for his speed, has played just 12 snaps over Penn State’s two games since Smith became the interim coach.
Before that, he went a month without playing.
So, although Howard has been gradually playing more, it still isn’t a large sample.
WHAT SMITH SAID
“The challenge with any young player, especially freshmen, is learning the system completely. We have tons of plays with tons of different options off each particular play. So a lot of times with young receivers, they may run routes short, or they’re not quite where they’re supposed to be, where the quarterback wants them. So a lot of times, the coach doesn’t have the confidence to put them in because they may make that mental error. What Kobe does best is he competes. This guy loves football. He got in this week, he got in last week against Iowa, and I think his two catches might be the two longest catches we had in both those games. So we have to get him an opportunity to get out there and shine. That’s my job, and Kobe’s going to be on the field on Saturday.”
THE OFFENSE NEEDS A SPARK
This Penn State offense needs something to get it going. A unit that was integral to Penn State’s College Football Playoff Semifinal run last season now ranks 105th in the country in total offense out of 136 teams, so it’s hard to argue that giving an extended look to players such as Howard and redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark (who played one snap against Ohio State) would hurt anything.
Furthermore, Howard and Denmark are two guys Penn State wants to keep around beyond 2025. There’s a lot of uncertainty around the program at the moment, and nothing will be clear until it names James Franklin’s replacement.
But what Penn State can control is its last four games, and many feel Howard could be a big piece to making those games as successful as possible.
