Matt McGloin didn't hesitate Wednesday when he was asked whether his No. 1 target, sophomore Allen Robinson, should have received more playing time last season.

"He definitely should've played a lot more last year," McGloin said. "He's a great athlete, a great player, a great person. I think the coaches last year didn't give him the opportunity he deserved.

"He didn't get discouraged. He kept working his tail off ... and hopefully he's going to be one of the best wideouts this place has seen."

The 6-foot-3 sophomore has already garnered national attention by amassing 24 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns. He was named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list on Tuesday, and he's currently on pace to shatter just about every PSU single-season receiving record.

Robinson, a soft-spoken player, deflected any talk Wednesday about whether he should have played last year. He said all the right things about his three-reception rookie season: He needed to remain patient, there was more depth back then, he probably would have played this year even with the old staff, etc.

But it's clear he made an instant impact on the new staff. He was listed as a third-string replacement last November but, three months after arriving on campus, receivers coach Stan Hixon noticed his work ethic.

He called Robinson the most improved receiver shortly after April's Blue-White Game. "He's really shown what he can do early," Hixon said at the time.

Robinson acknowledged he's uncertain whether his gaudy numbers would persist -- but he didn't seem to mind if those stats do drop off.

"I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing," he said. "I'm not really concerned because, if I'm not getting the ball as much as I have been, then a lot of the other guys will be stepping up and becoming open."