Penn State football has received criticism in recent years for the way it’s handled its wide receivers.
In 2024, the team played an entire College Football Playoff semifinal without a receiver catching a pass.
The next season brought mixed results, with transfers Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Pena all having their moments, but none became the type of difference-maker Penn State has been lacking since Jahan Dotson played his last game in 2021.
This year, Penn State has a new receivers room, with talented sophomore Koby Howard coming back and five wideouts coming into the transfer portal.
Beyond 2025, Penn State is looking to reestablish itself as a school known for recruitng quality receivers, and that’s where Khalil Taylor comes in.
It looked like Penn State had lost Taylor.
Two days before Penn State fired James Franklin, Taylor de-committed.
But Penn State has remained in the picture.
For one, Taylor, a four-star receiver at Pine-Richland High School, is from the Pittsburgh area, which has led to a relationship with PSU associate head coach Terry Smith.
The retention of Smith on new head coach Matt Campbell’s staff was a big deal for Penn State in the WPIAL. Even better for Penn State is that Taylor has a business partnership with Justin King, who is a Penn State letterman and Smith’s stepson.
Plenty of schools want Taylor, with Georgia and Nebraska being among the top contenders.
But Penn State is right in the mix.
“They’re making a run again,” Taylor told Nittany Sports Now. “They’re back up. I’ve been talking with them a lot. They’re staying in touch with me, visiting me at school and stuff. They’re on me, like how Coach Franklin’s group was. I like them a lot, too. “Penn State’s just standing out.”
Part of the reason they’re still in the mix is because of a conversation Tayl0r had with new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser.
“I met with him one time,” Taylor said. “He visited me at school. I liked what he was talking about. He sounds like a dude. They’re talking about how good their offense is. They throw the ball. They’re saying, ‘this ain’t the old Penn State.’ They’re telling me they’re going to throw the rock. They’re going to make sure the wide receivers shine.”
COACH CAMPBELL
Photo by Penn State athletics: Matt Campbell
The biggest person responsible for building Penn State’s Class of 2027– which doesn’t have any commits after all four de-committed in October– is Matt Campbell.
The fact that Penn State is still in play for all four speaks to the job Campbell has done, and Taylor is indeed a fan.
“He’s a great guy,” Taylor said. “He develops. I saw he had like five Division III championships (at Mt. Union). He’s just a great coach. I love what he’s talking about, I love talking to him, and our bond’s just getting stronger by the day.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.It also helps that Penn State’s new receivers coach, Noah Pauley, has a track record of player development.
At North Dakota State, Pauley helped develop Christian Watson, who this past season had 611 yards in just 10 games for the Green Bay Packers.
At Iowa State, Pauley worked with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who each had more than 1,100 yards receiving at Iowa State in 2024 and are key contributors on the Houston Texans.
Pauley and others are excited to host Taylor, which they did during Saturday’s Junior Day event.
“I’ve been talking to him a lot,” Taylor said. “He’s telling me about the offense, how he can use me, and things like that. They’re just pumped up to get me up on campus. Just making the bond stronger.”
So how can Penn State use Taylor?
“Like a slot guy, put me in the slot, outside, put me back at runningback,” Taylor said. “Just finding different ways to get me the ball. I can be a deep guy. I can be a screen guy. I mean, I can tote the rock. Punt returns, kick returns, stuff like that. Just move me around anywhere.
DYNAMIC DUO?
Photo courtesy of Kemon Spell
Taylor isn’t the only WPIAL player who has been in Penn State’s 2027 Class.
Gabriel Jenkins, a four-star safety from Imani Christian, had been committed, as had Kemon Spell (McKeesport), the No. 1 running back in the country and No. 7 overall player from his class.
Taylor and Spell don’t talk often, but the two had a Twitter exchange earlier this week that made Penn State fans think.
Taylor has known of Spell since their middle school days.
“That’s my dawg,” Taylor said. “I mean, we didn’t really grow up playing each other. I mean, we played each other, maybe, twice in middle school football, and then we also had this little camp, it was called a five-star camp. It was like Michigan vs. Ohio State. We ended up playing each other there, and then ever since that camp, I’ve just been hearing about him.”
Penn State fans will hope to hear about both committing to their school, which would break new ground in PSU’s WPIAL pipeline.
THE DECISION
Whatever Taylor decides, we won’t know for a while.
“I’m going to wait it out,” he said. “I might wait until like, the beginning of the season. If I’m not too strong about an option, I’ll probably just wait until midseason or toward the end of the season. I’m not trying to rush it. I’m not going to try to commit this summer. I’m going to wait for the season.”
When the season begins, Taylor will focus on helping Pine-Richland to a district championship.
“After this year, it’s college,” he said. “Stuff has to be more serious this year for sure.”
