No. 6 Penn State has a wideout issue. James Franklin is confident of a fix ahead of Washington.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State’s receivers were the most questioned group going into the season, with KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the team’s only wide receiver with more than 300 yards in 2023, transferring to Auburn.

While redshirt junior Harrison Wallace lll has 24 catches for 395 yards just eight games in, the receivers lack consistent production. Redshirt junior Liam Clifford (14 catches for 246 yards) and junior Omari Evans (11 catches, 236 yards) started the year with 100-yard games but have since disappeared.

Add fifth-year player Julian Fleming (11 catches, 152 yards), who has struggled with dropped passes, to the mix.

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The group’s struggles have limited the offense as teams stack the box. A lot of the offense’s big plays come from offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s knack for creativity and the breakthrough season that senior tight end Tyler Warren is having.

As the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) prepare for a talented Washington team on Saturday (8 p.m., Peacock), they’ll certainly look for their receivers to step up.

Coach James Franklin said the receivers have “improved” from last season, but it isn’t enough.

“We have got to be able to threaten people,” Franklin said Monday. “We’ve got to be able to make plays and create separation and make tough catches.”

Tough catches are an element that Washington’s secondary excels at. The Huskies (5-4, 3-3) have allowed 142 passing yards per game, the second-lowest average in the Big Ten, with eight interceptions. Junior quarterback Drew Allar called Washington’s secondary “one of the best.” Linebacker Carson Bruener leads the Huskies with three interceptions. Even defensive lineman Jacob Bandes has one.

“No matter if it’s zone coverage, man coverage, they’re always around the ball trying to make plays on [it],” Allar said Wednesday. “We’re going to have to [mind] our P’s and Q’s this week when it comes to the pass game.”

A way to eliminate Washington’s strength is getting separation.

Evans is a deep threat, so he’d be the answer, while the rest of the group will do their work in traffic. Franklin is hopeful that they’ll get the job done.

“We need them involved and want them involved,” Franklin said. “Hopefully Saturday will be the weekend. I was hoping this past Saturday … it would be one of those games where they all kind of came together.”

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Even with the group’s struggles, the team remains confident. Warren believes the key to unlocking the receivers’ production might be getting more plays.

“They’re a confident group,” Warren said. “There’s been multiple guys who have gone over 100 yards in games. They’ve shown what they can do.”

The group showed flashes, albeit against weaker competition. The receivers still have done their job in other ways.

Fleming stands out as the unit’s best blocker, and his experience and acumen have allowed Kotelnicki to scheme other players open.

Blocking may be key if the Huskies shut things down in the air. Allar said there aren’t many teams with receivers blocking as well as the Lions are. Still, he aims to do his part to prove that the receivers will come down with the ball when it matters on Saturday.

“Our receivers get a lot of harsh criticism about their performance, but I don’t find it necessary,” Allar said. “I’ll defend them to the day I die. I love being around those guys. They’re really fun to be around and they don’t get enough credit for how many plays they make on a weekly basis.”

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