Penn State’s Marques Hagans wants his WRs getting after defenders in the run game

Penn State’s passing game continues to grow after some solid work in the first four games.

Solid, not spectacular.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar is completing 67% of his passes. He has thrown for eight touchdowns and has not been intercepted heading into the sixth-ranked Lions’ Big Ten matchup with 2-2 Northwestern on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Veteran wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the team’s most dangerous receiver, has delivered with 21 catches for 286 yards (13.6 average) and three touchdowns.

Lambert-Smith is on pace for a 63-catch regular season. The 6-1, 195-pounder’s previous high in catches is 34, a number he produced in 2021.

“I think for us, he’s just been consistent so far,” Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans said Thursday. “He shows up every day, ready to work. He’s prepared, and he’s working on being consistent. I think that will really play out throughout the rest of the season as something that will be very important for him and for us.”

A couple of promising wideouts, Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans, have been slowed by minor physical issues. After Lambert-Smith, Wallace has been the Lions’ most productive receiver with 98 yards on 10 catches.

One area to watch the next couple of months: how well Penn State’s wideouts block in the running game.

Top backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton have combined for seven rushing scores, but neither has a carry of 20 or more yards.

Singleton, a 1,000-yard runner as a true freshman in 2022, had 12 runs of 20-plus yards last year. Seven of Singleton’s carries went for 40 or more yards.

Hagans said his guys are capable of taking a significant step forward as blockers in the run game.

“That is the expectation,” Hagans said. “I think early on, we were involved in the running game. I think the last game we were more active but we’ve got to do a better job of being more physical and finishing on the perimeter.”

Hagans knows what Singleton and Allen can do in one-on-one situations.

“I do think, a lot of times, on the big runs, (what) happens is not only the O-line doing their job, (the) tight ends doing their job but receivers finishing their job on the outside,” Hagans said. “When all those things work together, I think we have some really special running backs, and I think they deserve the opportunity to be one-on-one with defenders so they can make guys miss or run them over.

“I think that’s when the big plays come.”

Meanwhile, Dante Cephas, the speedy Kent State transfer who was a two-time first-team All-MAC selection, didn’t begin practicing with Penn State until August.

Hagans believes the 6-foot, 193-pound Cephas, who has five receptions for 82 yards, will be an asset in the Lions’ passing game during the team’s stretch run.

“I think Dante’s best football is ahead of him,” Hagans said. “I think as funny as it sounds, he’s starting to settle in and kind of find his way, and I think the offense is starting to slow down for him.

“He’s starting to grasp things better, and now he can focus more on playing, as opposed to thinking. … We’re going to need that moving forward so I’m excited for him and who he can be.”