Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1445781
2 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Washington needed to step up because the Nittany Lions' top receiver, Jahan Dotson, had opted out of the game to pre- pare for the NFL Draft. It was the 22nd start of Washington's college career, but up until the Outback Bowl he had been the wingman, the complementary threat that kept opponents from focusing too intently on stopping Dotson. Now, though, he was the main guy, and he definitely delivered. His performance, coupled with that of classmate KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who scored the Lions' only touchdown on a 42-yard comple- tion in the second quarter, provided some flashes of positivity in an otherwise dis- appointing trip to Tampa. "There's a lot to be excited about in his future," coach James Franklin said about Washington. "He's got tremendous ball skills. He's smart. He can make people miss. He's built more like a tailback than a running back, which I think helps him in different situations. "To see Parker and KeAndre do some good things today, that's going to be im- portant next year, because we're losing a lot of production in Jahan Dotson." The Lions are losing production all over the field, not just at wide receiver. That's the nature of college football, of course, even with the NCAA having granted an extra year of eligibil- ity to those who took part in the COVID- shortened 2020 sea- son. But it's an acute concern at Penn State, with the team having compiled an 11-11 record over the past two seasons and set to face Purdue and Auburn in the first three weeks of the 2022 season. The Lions need some people to step into much big- ger roles, and they need that to happen quickly. Yesterday wouldn't be too soon. 'He Just Has That Flair' While the Outback Bowl didn't go their way, the Lions did see some signs that they have emerging stars at spots where the team will need help in 2022. The most obvious was Washington, and it was not surprising that he should emerge from the game as a player to watch. That's because some of the things he did against Arkansas, he's been doing since he was a four-star prospect at Fort Bend Travis High in Richmond, Texas. Indeed, the first clip in his Hudl prep highlight film is of a reception against Richmond Foster in which he spins around and extends his right arm to pull in an overthrown pass for a first down. Washington's high school coach, Trey Sissom, told BWI after his commitment to Penn State that the young receiver pros- pect had a way of making the incredible seem routine. Said Sissom, "He just has that flair that allows him to make so many special plays." There was another way in which Wash- ington's high school career foreshadowed his tenure at Penn State: He spent the first part of it lining up alongside a receiver who was even more highly regarded than himself. At Travis, that much-sought-after re- ceiver was Arjei Henderson. A year ahead of Washington, Henderson was so heavily recruited that he verbally committed to three schools — Oregon, Oklahoma and Florida. His success at the high school level "gave Parker a road map in some ways," Sissom told BWI. "He saw every- thing that was going on with Arjei and some of the other kids, and I think that helped him handle the recruiting process and everything that comes with that. Not to mention, having another really good receiver on the team just helped push him and make him better." At Penn State, Dotson has been the model that everyone has sought to fol- low. He's been the Nittany Lions' top pass catcher the past two seasons, while Washington has ranked second on the team both of those years, combining to make 100 catches for 1,309 yards and 10 scores in 22 games. This coming year, Dotson will be gone, which means that he and Lambert-Smith, another four-star prospect in the Lions' 2020 recruiting class, will have to step forward, and not just as reliable targets for Clifford. They will be both be juniors, and be- tween them they will own 149 of the 152 catches that Penn State's returning re- ceivers have produced in their careers. That level of experience means that they will also need to provide leadership. Washington has never been known as an outspoken player, not with the media or with his teammates. But offensive co- ordinator Mike Yurcich said he saw signs during the Nittany Lions' bowl prac- tices that he and Lambert-Smith were starting to find their voices. "Those guys are doing a great job of really staying true to who they are," Yurcich said. "The worst thing you can do as a player is try to be something that you're not. "You feel a little bit of extra pressure and maybe you say something that's not natural. Those guys are natural. They know who they are, and they feel com- fortable in their own skin. "They're doing a great job and giving a great effort on the practice field, and that's the most important thing about leadership. "I think the vocal leadership will con- tinue to come," he added. "I was out there in pre-practice [a few days before the Outback Bowl], and Parker was joking "The worst thing you can do as a player is try to be something that you're not. You feel a little bit of extra pressure and maybe you say something that's not natural. Those guys are natural. They know who they are, and they feel comfortable in their own skin. They're doing a great job and giving a great effort on the practice field, and that's the most important thing about leadership." P E N N S T A T E O F F E N S I V E C O O R D I N A T O R M I K E Y U R C I C H O N P A R K E R W A S H I N G T O N A N D K E A N D R E L A M B E R T - S M I T H