James Franklin believes wide receivers could be the “most impactful” position group in football — NFL or college — in today’s game.

Franklin spoke about the impact of receivers while meeting with reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m just a big believer that if you look at the NFL or you look at college football, the room and the position that I think can be maybe the most impactful right now is the wide receivers,” Franklin said. “Those guys are able to change the game and change the game quickly.”

Penn State has had its fair share of elite receivers in recent years. However, in 2022, no Penn State receiver had more than Parker Washington’s 611 receiving yards.

The Nittany Lions are hoping to take a big step forward at this position in 2023. They have already added a pair of high-potential transfer receivers in Dante Cephas and Malik McClain.

Penn State has not had a receiver go over 1,200 yards in a single season during the Franklin era. The last receiver to do so was Allen Robinson in 2013.