Penn State football might need to look at its wide receiver room after the latest news. Both Omari Evans and Harrison Wallace III have entered the transfer portal, according to Hayes Fawcett, and Matt Zenitz of On3.com. Evans had 21 Receptions for 415 Yards & five touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown against Boise State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
On the flip side, Wallace was arguably the Nittany Lions' best receiver, outside of tight end Tyler Warren. The junior wide receiver had his best season in State College. He caught 46 passes for 720 yards and four touchdowns. As primarily a slot receiver, he made quick work of defenders with his route running, shiftiness, and elusiveness in space.
Even with Penn State football welcoming quarterback Drew Allar back, he'll be without two of his top weapons. Not to mention, Warren is declaring for the NFL Draft, so the receiving room will likely be rebuilt. However, losing Wallace and Evans is not a welcome sight for the Nittany Lions.
After all, Wallace didn't have a reception in the Orange Bowl. While the Fighting Irish have a tight defense, getting the top wide receiver in action is critical. It's unknown where he'll transfer to but he'll likely go to where he can have an expanded role within the offense.
Penn State football losing Harrison Wallace and Omari Evans isn't good
While the Big 10 is predominantly a run-first conference, it's grown into a balanced offensive conference. When teams like UCLA, USC, and Oregon switched, they brought their West Coast offenses. As a result, Oregon won the Big 10 and secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Penn State football saw this and wanted to have a more balanced approach. They went out and hired Kansas's offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki as their offensive coordinator. It paid dividends for them, as the offense was humming on all sides. They averaged 33.4 points per game throughout the season.
Going back to Wallace, after spending his entire collegiate career in State College, he's transferring. With only one year of eligibility remaining, he'll choose his options carefully. For Evans, he had a breakout junior season. His transfer could be for a multitude of reasons.
Still, head coach James Franklin will have to be aggressive in the transfer portal to make up for those losses. Three of the top receivers are out of State College. If Penn State wants to remain a Big 10 powerhouse, they'll have to have a balanced attack. That means going out and getting receivers who can replicate Wallace's and Evans's productivity.