Penn State attempted to quell its wide receiver struggles by bringing in a trio of proven transfers this offseason, but midway through the year, it became apparent those issues persisted.
With starters Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Peña struggling to produce throughout Big Ten play, a growing contingent of fans and media members questioned the coaching staff’s refusal to play freshman Koby Howard, who drew praise from coaches and teammates throughout the offseason as someone who could make an immediate impact. At times, Howard felt the same way.
“It was difficult, I’m not gonna lie, but at the end of the day, I’m able to do what I need to do, and I just got to capitalize on my opportunity that I have,” Howard said Wednesday.
The young pass-catcher still hasn’t had a marquee breakout game, but since Terry Smith took over as interim head coach for the back half of the season, Howard has a catch in four of the last five games and has seen his snap count rise.
“We haven’t been able to get a three- or four-catch game yet,” Smith said. “Hopefully that comes Saturday. But he’s getting better and better. He’s running good routes. He’s a competitor. I’m glad we got him involved and got him active. He’s helped us get better.”
The two have a close relationship. Howard echoed other players’ feelings about Smith and his honesty, which can hurt in the moment but is beneficial overall. Howard has seen tape from Smith’s time as a wide receiver at Penn State, and the two joke with each other about who’s better.
“He was pretty good back in the day,” Howard said.
The biggest obstacle to Howard seeing the field was developing as a blocker, a crucial requirement for everyone in the Nittany Lions’ offense. He worked with wide receivers coach Marques Hagans to hone that aspect of his game, which was an adjustment coming from high school in Florida where speed was emphasized over physicality. Specifically, he’s cleaned up his footwork and kept his hands inside.
It’s leading to more playing time and, in turn, more opportunities to make plays.
“My personal season went pretty good, probably not as expected, but it’s all part of God’s plan, and the coaches knew best,” Howard said. “Whatever they did, I just knew it was for the best.”
As he was biding his time and waiting for an opportunity to play, Howard relied on his father, who he talks to every day, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Tyseer Denmark.. He and Denmark frequently stay late after practice to throw to each other.
The patience paid off; Howard had Penn State’s longest reception against Iowa (14 yards) and Ohio State (26 yards), and the team’s second-longest against Nebraska (31 yards). He added two catches for 28 yards against Indiana. Albeit a limited sample size, Howard has the most yards per catch on the team this season.
Howard was noncommittal about his future with the program, saying head coaching stability under James Franklin and the consistent NFL production were sticking points in his recruitment. His retention will likely be a priority for the next head coach.
But for now, Howard is staying focused on finishing out the season strong.
“I try not to focus on it too much,” he said. “Like I said, just trying to focus on going 1-0 against Rutgers, and that’s really been my main goal. So I try not to focus on it. And whenever that time comes, I’ll deal with it.”
