Penn State news: The breakout star who can be the next Nittany Lions NFL WR
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Penn State news: The breakout star who can be the next Nittany Lions NFL WR appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Penn State might finally have the dynamic wide receiver its offense has been missing.
Sophomore Koby Howard exploded onto the scene in the Nittany Lions’ 45-0 season-opening win over Marshall, catching six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Howard had just seven receptions for 133 yards during his entire freshman season.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman highlighted Howard as a potential breakout star Friday while discussing Penn State’s recent drought of NFL receivers.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
“Penn State has experienced something of a wide receiver drought the past few years. Parker Washington, a sixth-round pick in 2023, was the last Nittany Lion wideout to get drafted; the program has had 21 other players picked since then. It’s only one game, but watch out for Koby Howard, a 5-11, 203-pound second-year player from South Florida. He lit Marshall up for six catches for 161 yards and a touchdown last week.”
Penn State has built its identity around defense, running the football and producing dominant tight ends. Wide receiver hasn’t carried the same reputation recently, but Howard’s Week 1 performance offered a glimpse at what could change in 2026.
Rocco Becht certainly didn’t have trouble finding him. The Iowa State transfer threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns in his Penn State debut, with Howard accounting for nearly 60 percent of his passing yardage.
Howard’s physical profile makes his emergence even more intriguing. At 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds, Howard has a compact, powerful build reminiscent of Deebo Samuel Sr., who measured just under 6-foot and 214 pounds at the NFL Combine. That doesn’t mean Howard is the next Samuel after one breakout game, but the potential is there.
If Howard continues becoming Becht’s favorite target and proves Marshall wasn’t a one-game explosion, Penn State might finally have its next NFL-caliber receiver.
Related: TCU star WR’s latest injury update puts season debut on hold
Related: Why Texas football’s Arch Manning can finally lead Longhorns on championship run
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos