Penn State’s wide receiver problems were chronic during the final years of the James Franklin era. But now, after Matt Campbell made a crucial addition to his coaching staff this week, there’s belief the receiver position will become a strength, not a weakness, at Penn State.
Noah Pauley, Iowa State’s decorated wide receivers coach, is joining Campbell in Happy Valley. And his star pupils with the Cyclones — Houston Texans wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel — are confident Pauley will set a new standard at Penn State.
“He’s a special coach,” Noel told PennLive in a phone interview from the Texans’ locker room. “He’s going to shoot you straight. I appreciated his honesty because that elevates you as a player. He’s going to tell it like it is. He’s not going to give you any bulls***.”
Pauley, who spent the last three seasons at Iowa State, brings an impressive resume with him to State College. He was named the 2024 FootballScoop National Wide Receivers Coach of the Year after Higgins and Noel starred for the Big 12 runners-up.
In 2024, Noel and Higgins became the first Iowa State teammates to go over 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Higgins tallied 87 catches for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns. Noel had 80 catches for 1,194 yards and eight scores. And the NFL noticed.
Higgins and Noel were both selected by the Texans in the 2025 NFL draft. Higgins was the No. 34 overall pick in the second round while Noel went No. 79 overall in the third round.
Houston Texans’ Jayden Higgins catches a pass out-of-bounds as Buffalo Bills’ Tre’Davious White (27) defends in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)AP
Penn State, meanwhile, had one wide receiver – Parker Washington, a 6th round pick in 2023 – selected in the last three drafts, and that drought will likely continue in April.
The inability to develop receivers was an issue under Pauley’s predecessor, Marques Hagans. The fact that Penn State came within a few points of playing for last year’s national title while the wideouts had zero catches in the CFP semifinal was and still is a stain on Franklin’s tenure. Even after investing heavily in the transfer portal, the product wasn’t any better in 2025.
But Pauley’s work with Higgins and Noel, who took different paths to stardom, should instill a sense of optimism in fans and whoever will be the Nittany Lions’ quarterback in 2026.
Higgins was a savvy portal addition by Campbell. The Cyclones didn’t have an NIL bag to offer the FCS Eastern Kentucky product. But they did offer a chance to play power conference football. Higgins committed in late December 2022, and Pauley was hired in January 2023.
The two instantly connected over their beginnings. Pauley, who won two Division II national titles as a receiver at Minnesota-Duluth, became a coach on the rise at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, where he coached Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson. A couple years later, Pauley molded Higgins into a second-rounder just like Watson.
“He would always put you in the right position to succeed,” Higgins said. “But he also gave you just enough freedom that you can be yourself out there and show your skill set.”
Which is what Higgins did. In 2023, he racked up 983 yards on 53 receptions, averaging 18.5 yards per catch. In 2024, his 87 receptions ranked seventh among FBS receivers.
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 10: Wide receiver Jaylin Noel #13 of the Iowa State Cyclones goes up the field in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)Getty Images
Pauley developed a two-headed monster with Higgins and Noel, who was already showing promise when Higgins arrived at Iowa State. Noel came to Ames as an overlooked three-star recruit, ranked No. 837 overall in the 2021 class. He had 38 catches as a true freshman and 572 yards as a sophomore. But Pauley’s mentorship allowed Noel to take off as a junior.
“From the day he stepped in and watched film with me and talked over my game, there were so many tips he gave me,” Noel recalled. “It started off with the simple things like footwork at the line of scrimmage, being able to have a multitude of releases, things like that. His football IQ, having played the position and how smart he is, elevated how I watched film and studied.”
But Pauley did more than just impart knowledge. He motivated Noel and Higgins to power Iowa State to its first-ever 11-win season, reach their full potential and play for him.
“He’s a connector of people,” Noel said. “He knows how to communicate with guys. He’s a competitor as a coach and always wants to see a competitive edge from his players. And my favorite part about his coaching style is the freedom he gives a receiver to grow. He gives you the base fundamentals. And from there, he wants to see you grow into your own player.”
Noel and Higgins did that at Iowa State.
Now, Pauley will be tasked with giving Penn State’s receivers the tools to do the same — and in the process, changing the narrative around the Nittany Lions.
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