April 8, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - One year ago from today, DaeSean Hamilton had not made a single catch as a Penn State receiver during a practice or in a game.
After a wrist injury sidelined the Virginia native throughout 2013 and the first 12 spring practices of 2014, Hamilton did not participate in a practice until April 9. He practiced twice in a limited role before two quarters of action in the Blue-White Game on April 12.
But what a difference a year has made for the all-time leader in receptions for a Nittany Lion freshman.
On the heels of a rookie campaign where he hauled in a Big Ten-best 82 catches, Hamilton has reached for another gear during his first full spring on the field for the Nittany Lions.
"Having a season under your belt makes such a big difference," Hamilton said. "You're able to play a lot faster and understand the nature of the game a lot quicker with that experience. It makes a big difference. I feel a lot more comfortable."
Primed to be a central figure in a deeply talented pool of receivers, Hamilton is expecting big things from the Penn State offense in 2015.
"We are significantly more comfortable this year," Hamilton said. "We are going out there and reviewing things instead of learning them for the first time. You can tell a lot with guys knowing where they need to be on every play."
There is a natural progression from year one on the field to year two, and a big piece of the growth is the continued rapport with rising junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg. The duo has a season full of game and practice reps to build on, in addition to all of the work set forth during the offseason.
"It's big for us," Hamilton said. "We are a lot more comfortable with one another because we have played a lot. The expectations will be bigger for us (in the fall), but we're confident in what we are capable of doing."
"These guys have all worked extremely hard this spring, and you are seeing it on the field," Hackenberg said. "Guys know where to be and how to go out there and execute, and that is huge for the offense."
Within the 15 allotted spring practices, Hamilton said there are a number of things he is working on to refine his game following the stellar campaign in 2014.
"Without having spring ball last year, a big thing for me is just keeping my ball skills up, having a better catch radius to make better catches, being precise with my routes, being versatile by playing inside and outside," said Hamilton.
Hamilton will be just one piece of a receiving corps with great potential. Senior Geno Lewis returns as the team's second-leading receiver. Lewis made 55 receptions last season. Fellow senior Matt Zanellato and junior Gregg Garrity are also back, in addition to a pair of true sophomores poised for breakout campaigns.
Chris Godwin and Saeed Blacknall are two players who made big jumps in the weight room during the winter conditioning period, and that has translated into a very productive spring practice season for the talented tandem. As true freshmen, Godwin and Blacknall made 25 and 11 receptions, respectively, and combined for three touchdowns.
"We have high expectations (as a group) now after the performance we had against Boston College (in the Pinstripe Bowl)," Hamilton said. "Consistency is a big thing, but also taking our games to the next level. We want to be an elite group. We want to come back in the fall and springboard off of the way we finished last season. As long as we set the bar high and miss small, we are going to take a step forward next fall and even the rest of this spring."
Continuing with head coach James Franklin's theme of iron sharpening iron, the receiving corps is using the opportunity to practice against one of the top defensive units in the nation to its advantage. Each time the group steps on the field it learns something.
"Going out every day and working against one of the best defenses in the country last year helps everyone get better. When you practice against those guys, it helps all of us become better football players. And it's competitive," said Hamilton.