State College’s Ty Salazer prepares to reset record book for the Little Lions

As the lights and ambiance fill Memorial Field on Friday, the contest between State College and Harrisburg will be more than just a game.

There’s also some history involved. When the Little Lions’ offense steps on the field, all eyes will be on No. 3, Ty Salazer.

Salazer has the chance to break the all-time receiving yards record for his program, with the mark currently set at 1,547 yards — held by Cohen Russell since 2018. Salazer is only 172 yards away from the record and if it’s set, it will be even more impressive considering the fact that he’s only a junior.

Salazer had been starting on the other side of the ball since his freshman year, but on offense, he only totaled a single catch for 22 yards. Last season, he totaled 580 receiving yards, but this season, he really seemed to break out — six games in, he has already accumulated almost 800 yards.

His head coach, Matt Lintal, is not surprised. Salazer is looked at around the program as one of the guys who is “always open,” even drawing comparisons to one of the NFL’s biggest stars.

“He’s Cooper Kupp,” Lintal told the Centre Daily Times, referencing the Los Angeles Ram wide receiver.

Junior Eddie Corkery, Salazer’s quarterback, made the same comparison, saying he’ll “always find a way open.”

Corkery is loaded with viable options all over the field, but the young receiver still stands out from the pack, as he averages 128 yards per contest in a scheme that isn’t necessarily designed for a huge passing game.

Salazer’s ability to work the scramble drill along with finding open holes in the zone work well for him, and he has just enough burst to take these balls for massive gains.

“He’s so smooth. He doesn’t even look like he’s running,” Lintal said. “He’s a very, very good football player, and he understands the game.”

The acumen that the Little Lion’s leading receiver has acquired has become essential in modern-day football, as simply being an athlete doesn’t work for most. Salazer models his game after the aforementioned Kupp and other big-time route runners.

“I watch a bunch of YouTube,” Salazer said. “I watched ... Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, get different routes, get ready for the game.”

Salazer has changed the dynamic of State College’s offense as, like its neighbors over on Curtin Road, it places a heavy emphasis on the run game. In fact, Lintal added to the mystique of this honor by saying that State College has never had an 1,000-yard receiver in a single season.

At this point, Salazer is on pace to get that and then some before his junior campaign concludes.

Lintal and his squad also spoke highly of Salazer’s character, saying that he is a 4.5 GPA student who leads by example in many facets of life. This character makes the award seem fitting for Salazer, and gives him a chance to set the standard in his final two seasons of high school ball.

“He’s just all-around,” Lintal said. “He’s an all-around genuinely great person. He checks every box.”

Corkery agreed, saying that Salazer always does the right thing and works hard in and out of practice.

With only two full seasons of work on the offensive end, Salazer has the chance to submit his name into State College history in what could be one of many categories this season.

In a move that is understandable with the season not being close to over, Lintal refuses to record chase, always putting the team first. But with the stats Salazer has accumulated this season, it’s likely that he achieves this mark on Friday. And if he does, questions of what’s next certainly will come — he’s only a junior.

The record means “a lot,” to Salazer, as he is passing up some of his former teammates on the way, but the work isn’t finished there.

“Next year, I want to get more yards than I had this year,” Salazer said. “Keeping pushing that record, keep getting more yards, keep getting looked at.”

The Little Lions take on Harrisburg at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Field.