A lot has changed over the past 10 months for Penn football.
Gone are veteran quarterbacks Billy Ragone and Ryan Becker. Respected leader and slot receiver Ryan Mitchell has also graduated, and an experienced offensive line in 2013 has given way to an unproven collection of linemen up front for the Red and Blue as the 2014 season looms.
And with legendary coach Al Bagnoli preparing to hand the team’s reins over to defensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Ray Priore at the end of the year, it’s not difficult to imagine a scenario in which instability wreaks havoc on the Quakers this season.
Luckily for Penn, that’s where the receiving corps comes into play.
As the team prepares to open up its season against Jacksonville with sophomore Alek Torgersen — a quarterback who has only played one quarter throughout his young college career — under center, Bagnoli and the entire offense are taking comfort in the return of several talented receivers from last year’s squad.
In addition to junior wideout Cam Countryman and senior tight ends Mitch King and Ryan O’Malley, Penn’s lineup will also feature fifth-year seniors Conner Scott and Ty Taylor when it takes the field in Florida. With so much talent being carried over from the Ragone regime, the squad’s receivers hope to make the transition to starter easier for Torgersen.
“From top to bo ttom, we’re pretty strong [at wide receiver], pretty seasoned and experienced, and we have a nice balance of young and old guys,” Bagnoli said. “So hopefully when the smoke clears, that will provide some comfort to a young quarterback.”
“It’s real important that we make sure that the quarterback is always comfortable,” Countryman added. “We can’t be dropping any passes, we need to catch everything he throws just because he is young and that will help the offense move along.
“As long as we can make sure the quarterback gets the ball out of his hands quickly, I think we’ll be fine.”
In addition to the veteran wideouts returning for the Quakers this season, Bagnoli has also added depth to the team’s most-experienced skill position by converting former running back Spencer Kulcsar and former quarterback Adam Strouss to wide receivers.
"[Strouss] is such a talented athlete that we just had to find a spot to get him out there,” Bagnoli said. “He’s a big, strong, fast and dynamic kid in space, so for the team’s benefit, it was much better for us to get him on the perimeter and showcase him a little bit more than we could at quarterback.
“We have to formulate a package for Spencer — he’s really a dynamic playmaker,” he added. “We can create the matchups that we want because he’s probably our best pure athlete on offense, and he’s probably the best guy we have in space.”
Despite finishing as the team’s second-leading rusher last season, Kulcsar’s transition to wide receiver is one of several moves the Red and Blue have made to develop a faster offensive system. Although the Quakers will continue to emphasize smash-mouth football, Penn has developed a pro-style spread offense to keep defenses off-balance this season.
“We have a brand-new offense running the no-huddle spread,” King said. “It’s definitely a work in progress, especially having a young quarterback and a young [offensive] line, but I think we have all of the talent in the world and it’s just going to take some time for us to come together and ... be efficient.”
Although the offense continues to implement and become comfortable with its new spread system, the Quakers could be affected by Mitchell’s graduation. The La Grange, Ill., native racked up 102 receptions in four years with Penn, and his departure from the slot removes a security blanket relied upon heavily by Ragone over the past several years.
But Bagnoli is confident that Countryman, Strouss and senior wide receiver Eric Fiore can fill the void. It also won’t hurt to have Scott — who finished second team All-Ivy in 2012 — and Taylor back for one final season.
As the Quakers prepare to kick off their season, there undoubtedly exists plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team’s offense. But if the receiving corps’ experience manifests itself on the field in 2014, there’s no limit to what Penn can do offensively.
“The goal is the same as it is every season: We want to win all 10 games, we want to win the Ivy League championship and we want to be leaders,” King said. “I want to make sure that people will have their minds right and people will place their focus on the team.
“Where it should be.”
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