Marques Hagans begins his second season as Penn State's receivers coach with an understanding of the position profile. Last year wasn't the most productive for this group, with nine receivers recording just nine total touchdown receptions (four fewer than tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren) and averaging 131.4 yards per game. Nine receivers averaged more than 100 yards per game alone in the FBS last year.
Ultimately, four of the Nittany Lions' receivers transferred out of the program, including Ke'Andre Lambert-Smith, who led the offense with 53 catches, and now quarterback Drew Aller's second year will depend on Hagans and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki rebuilding the team.
When asked if receiver was the team's biggest position question mark, Hagans didn't shy away from the question.
“I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an issue for us,” he said.
Hagans recently spoke about how he's helping retool Penn State's wide receiver corps, the current state of the group and what it means for the offense. Below are excerpts from that interview.
Q: Has the culture changed in the receiver room this year?
Marques Hagans: It's a new year, so I think the culture in the room is different. And I think the players in the room are in a different space. So I would say the culture is different. Players are more mature, they're further along in their careers, they're better at certain stages in their careers.
Q: How involved is Julian Fleming in this?
Hagans: I think as of the spring, he's more accepting of it. I think he understands in his own way what it means to be here and to be a part of the Nittany Lions. And I think he's helping to build the culture now, whereas before he was just trying to learn how to accept it. So I think the guys take a lot of pride in that. And I think that's going to show this year. So you're going to see it.
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Q: What is the culture like?
Hagans: Everything. Practice habits, movie habits, eating habits, practice, [watching] Film is about taking care of yourself. Everything we do gives us a chance to be the best group in the country. No disrespect to anybody. But at some point, we have to feel that way. And we work towards it. And that becomes the standard. If we're not the best, what's the point of doing it? …So everything we do has to be in line with being the best.
Q: What has changed in the culture of the room?
Hagans: I think it's like anything else. With kids, there's growth, physical growth, mental growth, or just maturity growth, year after year. And as players grow, things change. People change. None of us are the same as we were last year. So I think even if a player takes a different seat, a different position, the culture of the team stays the same, it just changes based on the seat that the person takes. And I think our players are very eager and hungry to prove that our culture is what differentiates us. I'm excited to be that coach and I'm looking forward to next season.
Question: What makes Kayden Sanders different?
Hagans: He's gotten stronger, he's gotten more confident, and I think he's gotten more mature. He's becoming an example, along with the rest of the guys, of what we want the group to embody in our day-to-day activities. Not just him, but I would say especially him.
Q: How has Liam Clifford progressed?
Hagans: Like Caden, he is a role model. He shows up to the team every day and it's clear to see what you're getting out of them. He leads the group and he leads by example, he knows what to do and how to do it, and he motivates himself. He motivates his guys and holds them accountable. He's exactly what you want in a leader for that group and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to coach him.
Q: Why do you think wide receiver is the biggest challenge for the team?
Hagans: I'd be lying if I said it's not important, because what we do is important to us. We take pride in our performance and our contributions to winning a championship. So I'd be lying if I said we don't hear that or that it's not important. So we hear that and we use that as motivation. But it's not everything to us. The players that come out every day are part of the same team. The coaches, the staff, that's what we should focus on. But we're only human, so we hear certain things. And for me personally, yeah, we hear that. And I don't want our players to be associated with anything other than the best. So we're going to be focused on every day being the best and putting together the best product that gives the team the best chance to win.
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AllPennState is the home for Penn State news, opinions and views on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years and has followed three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and plenty of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter). Mark Wogenrich.
