Penn State WR Parker Washington out for the remainder of season with injury

Sean Clifford and Penn State will be without their top target for the last two games of the season.

Parker Washington, the Nittany Lions’ leading receiver, will miss Saturday’s regular-season finale against Michigan State and the upcoming bowl game with an undisclosed injury, coach James Franklin said at his Tuesday news conference.

Washington’s injury occurred in the days leading up to last weekend’s game at Rutgers. The third-year receiver featured in Penn State’s win over Maryland did not travel for the Nittany Lions’ 55-10 road victory against the Scarlet Knights.

Washington has been integral to Penn State’s offense over the last two seasons. The 5-foot-10 receiver was the Nittany Lions’ second-leading receiver in 2021. His 64 receptions, 820 yards and four touchdowns were outdone by only Jahan Dotson. This year, Washington overcame a slow start to take the torch of No. 1 receiver from Dotson, leading Penn State with 46 catches and 611 yards with two touchdowns.

Washington’s presence was especially felt in late October. His acrobatic 35-yard touchdown against Minnesota nixed the Golden Gophers’ upset bid. A week later, Washington posted a career-best performance on national television, hauling in 11 catches for 179 yards with a 58-yard touchdown against No. 2 Ohio State.

Washington’s standout day, when all the attention coming in was on Ohio State’s wide receivers, opened a lot of eyes across the country. The Texas native started garnering more and more NFL Draft consideration, and it became clear Washington would have a choice to make regarding his future at the end of the season.

Last week, Penn State wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield said Washington has elite hands and would be a “huge asset” to an NFL team. But perhaps this injury plays a factor in whether he decides to declare for the 2023 draft. January and February are valuable times for prospects to train ahead of the NFL Combine.

If Washington returns, it would be a big boost to the receiver room and to Penn State’s offense, led by heir apparent quarterback Drew Allar. If Washington doesn’t, it’ll be up to a new crop of receivers to step up.

Mitchell Tinsley, a Western Kentucky transfer and Penn State’s second-leading receiver with 44 catches and 515 yards, is out of eligibility and won’t be around. But third-year receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (16 catches, 182 yards) has flashed in spurts with his ability after the catch. Redshirt freshman Harrison “Trey” Wallace III (16 catches, 222 yards) has emerged as a downfield threat. Liam Clifford as well as true freshmen Omari Evans, Kaden Saunders, Anthony Ivey, Tyler Johnson and Cristian Driver have a chance to be involved, too.

While he’ll miss not having Washington in the lineup against Michigan State and in the bowl game, Franklin said he’s excited for younger receivers to get more reps during this closing stretch.

“That’s the nature of our game and the nature of our sport. When opportunity presents itself, you’ve gotta be ready,” Franklin said. “To me, it’s always kind of an interesting situation because a lot of guys are ready when their number gets called, and some guys aren’t. It’s always interesting to see how that plays out. But I’ve been impressed with those guys and how they’ve handled the opportunities they’ve had this season. Some of their roles have grown even without some of the bumps and bruises. But obviously, last week and this week and moving forward, that’s going to be really important for us.”