DeAndre Thompkins has taken the baton as Penn State’s elder statesman in the wide receivers room this spring, helping his younger teammates along just like DaeSean Hamilton did for him.

“I’ve kind of been embracing the role that Ham had last year,” Thompkins said. “Him being a veteran player, him having that history with the team and proving he can perform. He was also teaching the younger guys. He taught me.”

Thompkins, a graduate senior from Hubert, NC, enters the 2018 season with the most yards of any returning Penn State receiver (916). He’s expected to resume his starting job alongside redshirt juniors Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk, while also being firmly in the mix to return punts again.

Thompkins was the first Nittany Lion since Derrick Williams in 2008 to return a punt for a touchdown against Akron in last year’s season opener.

Always working on his craft, Thompkins is known to count his steps on the way to class, sometimes mimicking routes in the hallways of various buildings across campus. If a teammate or trainer throws him a water bottle, he makes sure he looks it in and comes down with the catch every time.

“It sounds corny but at the end of the day it gets you right,” he said.

Thompkins shared his thoughts on backup quarterback Tommy Stevens’ decision to return to Penn State in the fall rather than transfer elsewhere after he graduates.

“He’s one of those guys you need in the locker room,” Thompkins said. “He’s a presence. He brings the competitive nature out of everybody. He’s just a team player, one of those guys you love to be around.”

Thompkins has also noticed the rapid development of redshirt freshman receiver K.J. Hamler, who’s been the talk of spring practice so far.

“K.J. right now is just on fire,” he said. “The dude’s a lightning bolt. I love to think I’m the fastest one on the team, but he might have me.”

Thompkins said one of the main highlights of spring ball came when Hamler broke free on a deep route for an easy score.

“That play, he caught a post in cover 2 and he was gone. As soon as the ball was in the air, you knew it was a touchdown.”

Thompkins and the rest of Penn State’s receivers welcomed new position coach David Corley with open arms this offseason after Josh Gattis left for Alabama.

“We all love him in the room,” Thompkins said. “He’s one of those guys who doesn’t have to scream and yell to get his point across. He’s well respected and respect’s a big thing for him. He can crack a joke but he can also get on you.”

Thompkins and redshirt junior cornerback John Reid have recently spent plenty of time watching film together and going head-to-head in practice. He has no doubt Reid will return to his normal self after recovering from a season-ending knee injury.

“He’s coming back full force,” Thompkins said. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

Thompkins graduated with his psychology degree in December and is now pursuing a second degree in criminology. With 15 career starts and 58 catches already under his belt, Thompkins will draw on everything he’s learned from his predecessors as he jockeys to be Trace McSorley’s go-to receiver this fall.

Competitive catching and blocking are the two things he’s been focusing on most in the lead-up to his final Blue-White game on April 21. Despite his shorter stature at 5’11”, Thompkins has shown he isn’t afraid to play jump ball with the Big Ten’s best defensive backs.

“Me being small doesn’t mean I can’t go up and grab it from them,” he said before adding some quick clarification: “I’m not that small. I’m still a dog.”