Penn wide receiver Jared Richardson has become ‘the full package’ for the Quakers offense

It took just one year.

One year for Penn wide receiver Jared Richardson to go from obscurity to one of the premier playmakers in the Ivy League.

Richardson, who converted from quarterback to wide receiver out of high school, did not record a single catch his freshman season before exploding in his second year. He hauled in 67 receptions for 788 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. One of his biggest games last season came against rival Yale, in which Richardson broke the program record for most catches in a single game with 17.

For his efforts, the junior was voted as a second-team preseason All-American by FCS Football Central and was an All-Ivy first team recipient.

“A lot of times, guys at this level are big but not twitchy or explosive. [Richardson] has the full package,” said Penn offensive coordinator Greg Chimera.

Recording 194 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and lots of trash talk in his first two outings this season, it appears Richardson picked up exactly where he left off.

However, in Penn’s most recent game, Richardson was a nonfactor in a conference-opening loss to Dartmouth. He recorded just two catches for 18 yards.

“[Dartmouth] put a stop to me,” Richardson admitted. “They had me triple-teamed, double-teamed. There’s not much I could really do, just do my job as best as I can.”

Adversity is nothing new for the Poconos native, though. If anything, he welcomes it. He’ll get another opportunity to face some in Bucknell (3-2) when it visits Franklin Field to take on the Quakers (1-2) on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).

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Richardson was born in New York but grew up in Blakeslee, a small town in the Pocono Mountains. He is the middle child of what he describes as a “family full of athletes.” He played basketball for much of his formative years but clung to football just like his father, who played at West Virginia.

Richardson attended Bethlehem Catholic High School, where he played quarterback. During his junior year at Bethlehem, he lost half his season due to injury after what he later discovered would be a torn labrum in a game against Liberty High School, a crosstown rival.

Despite immense pain, Richardson started the following two weeks. In his second game after suffering the tear, he worsened the injury by stiff-arming a defender. He heard his shoulder pop, and his junior season was over in an instant.

“With that injury, I learned a lot about myself,” Richardson said. “Just how to push through things. You know, pain is temporary, but pride is forever.”

Richardson, who returned to play his senior year, did not receive any Division I offers to play quarterback. He did, however, get a call from one D1 program to play wide receiver — Penn.

“My thought process my whole senior year of high school was just to stay patient,” he said. “Something’s gonna come. Just wait on it, and Penn came around. It was a blessing. Best thing that ever happened to me.”

Arriving for that first training camp during his freshman year, Richardson struggled to learn his new position. His discomfort leaked into the season, where he contributed on special teams but rarely saw offensive snaps. Discouraged by his lack of experience playing receiver, he sought familiarity for motivation.

“I do this for my family,” Richardson said. “So it’s like, if I have them in the back of my mind, I can achieve anything I’ve set my mind to.”

Carrying that into the present coming off a breakthrough sophomore campaign, the 6-foot-2 wideout has seen his goals come to fruition. Richardson’s combination of size and speed has made him Penn’s top weapon in a potent passing attack. He relishes going up for fade routes and 50-50 balls, which he calls “75-25s,” as he generally comes down with the ball.

“We have two receivers who both have almost 40-inch verticals and ball skills, so it’s pretty hard to cover them when you throw it up,” said senior quarterback Aidan Sayin, referring to Richardson and 6-4 wideout Bisi Owens. “I don’t really have to throw a perfect ball, just make it catchable.”

Richardson, a vocal leader in the locker room, is looking to atone for his last performance with a much-needed win on Saturday.

“We are a championship-caliber team,” Richardson said. “It starts with going 1-0 this upcoming week and then just carrying that momentum on. Hopefully, at the end of the season, we’ll have a ring on our finger.”

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