Penn State preseason camp offensive storylines: Drew Allar, the wide receivers and more

Penn State football is back. Well, almost.

The Nittany Lions open their preseason camp on Wednesday, a month away from their Aug. 31 opener at West Virginia. There are plenty of questions to answer over the next few weeks ahead of the 2024 season, one with high hopes as James Franklin’s program pushes to compete in the new Big Ten and to earn a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

We’ll get to the defensive side of the ball later this week. But for now, here are five offensive storylines to watch during Penn State’s buildup to the 2024 season.

Who will step up at wide receiver?

It’s the biggest question not only of this preseason but really of the last 18 months. Ever since Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley left after the 2022 season, the Nittany Lions have been looking for an effective combination at wideout. KeAndre Lambert-Smith had his moments last season, but disappeared down the stretch and ultimately transferred. So did Dante Cephas and Malik McClain, who left after spending one underwhelming season in Happy Valley.

Julian Fleming, the former five-star recruit from Southern Columbia, is poised to make more of an impact at Penn State than he did at Ohio State. Fleming was a complementary piece for the Buckeyes, who produced four first-round receivers in his four years in Columbus. Fleming, now a seasoned vet, has a greater opportunity to emerge as a No. 1 target with the Nittany Lions.

Harrison Wallace III has shown flashes of a receiver who can play on Sundays but, along with Fleming, needs to stay healthy. Kaden Saunders, Omari Evans and Liam Clifford haven’t proved themselves yet but will all look to secure the No. 3 receiver role. Maybe one of the summer enrollees, Tyseer Denmark or Peter Gonzalez, pop in camp. The Nittany Lions really need someone to take a step forward after failing to push the ball downfield in 2023.

Who will replace NFL draft picks in the trenches?

Left tackle Olu Fashanu went No. 10 overall to the New York Jets, right tackle Caedan Wallace landed with the New England Patriots in the third round, and center Hunter Nourzad found a home with the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round. Finding replacements for all three — and developing a cohesive unit — is the job of Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.

Drew Shelton, after sitting out spring ball and recovering from an offseason surgery, is the heir apparent to Fashanu. Shelton started the final five games of the 2022 season in place of an injured Fashanu and was the team’s swing tackle in 2023. J’ven Williams, the former five-star from Wyomissing, will likely be his backup. At center, Nick Dawkins is the expected replacement for Nourzad, though freshman Cooper Cousins, who made waves in spring, will push him. Sal Wormley is the returning starter at right guard, and Vega Ioane is poised to be the left guard.

The situation is less clear at right tackle. Nolan Rucci, the former five-star from Warwick, transferred in from Wisconsin. He could replace Wallace at right tackle. So could Anthony Donkoh, who played well in the Peach Bowl. So could JB Nelson, primarily a guard in 2023. The right tackle situation — and where Nelson slots in — will be Trautwein’s priority this camp.

Can Drew Allar continue to grow under new OC Andy Kotelnicki?

“Good, but not good enough,” is how Allar described his 2023 season. Statistically, there were positives. He protected the ball; his 25 touchdowns and two interceptions was the best ratio among FBS quarterbacks. But the staleness of the offense and glaring lack of explosive plays — ranking 109th nationally in passing plays of 20-plus yards — weighed on Allar.

Now, Allar is more confident. He told PennLive in April that the positive vibes in meetings and on the practice field were “at a different scale” under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Allar felt like he was able to play “loose and free” in spring ball. “I think that’s when I’m playing at my best,” Allar said. “And that’s the level I want to be at consistently.”

It’s imperative that Allar not only maintains but builds that confidence in training camp. After a “good, but not good enough” first season as the starter, it’s time for Allar to really shine.

How much of a role will Beau Pribula play?

Pribula is the No. 2 quarterback; it would take an Allar injury or extremely poor play for the former Central York star to ascend to the starting job. But Pribula was involved last year, and he appears poised to have an even bigger role to play in 2024.

Pribula rushed for 329 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, playing in 11 games mostly in garbage time. But the shifty backup who was used to provide a meaningful spark later in the year could do the same under Kotelnicki — a creative, innovative coordinator who wasn’t shy about utilizing two quarterbacks at the same time during his three years at Kansas.

Franklin said at Big Ten media days that Pribula “needs to be a part of what we do.” Whether that was genuine or simply coach-speak, we’ll find out in time.