Blue White Illustrated

| I t's not o9en that you meet a teenager who has absolutely no presence on any social media outlet. While some do shun the major platforms, those teens are in- creasingly rare. These days, you almost never come across accomplished Division I prospects who want ab- solutely no notoriety or praise for their accom- plishments. Enter future Nittany Lion tight end Tyler War- ren. To this day, BWI has- n't had an extended conversation with the Mechanicsville, Va., na- tive. But his head coach, Matt Gray, knows him better than just about anyone and is quick to praise his ability and atti- tude. "He's been an absolute pleasure to coach over the years," said Gray, who began coaching Warren during the player's freshman season at Atlee High. "You can't ask for a better friend and a better teammate. He'll do anything for his guys and for his team. He's everything a coach could want, and then some. He's a true hidden gem. Penn State fans will get to know that soon." Measuring 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, War- ren has been garnering interest since the end of the 2017 season from college coaches who have been intrigued by his potential as a tight end. However, there was a slight problem at 7rst: There was no 7lm of him actually playing the tight end position. A9er his sophomore sea- son, Warren primarily played quarter- back at Atlee – not because he preferred it, but because it was best for his team. That was once again the case this past season, although it was not the only way he made an impact. "He's done a little bit of everything for us this year," Gray said. "He played a signi7cant amount of quarterback, but we've moved him around a lot, especially a9er getting bit by the in- jury bug. For example, in [our second-to-last game], he played quar- terback, receiver and tight end. He punts for us and had a 52-yard punt in that game. He also then blocked a punt and played safety, outside linebacker and even played defensive end for one snap. ... So, it's been a blessing to have a player like him, but I think that also speaks to Tyler and just the kind of person he is. He's willing to do whatever it takes for our team." Penn State got its 7rst look at Warren in the summer of 2017, before he began his 7rst full season of varsity football. He camped as a quarterback and threw well, oversee these commercial opportu- nities. So, for example, if a State Col- lege business wants to pay Parsons or Freiermuth a few hundred dollars to do an appearance or an advertise- ment, they'll be contacting Penn State's new player representation department and not a third-party agent. There are some pros and cons that come with that model, too, but it's a safer way to manage things. Major athletic departments can af- ford it, and it helps keep their stu- dent-athletes focused on what matters most. One last thing I'm curious to see is how this change could potentially impact the transfer portal. If you think it's crazy now, just wait until a top player at a smaller program de- cides he wants to play at a Power Five school. Sure, we're already seeing that, but the focus in a few years may no longer be about challenging your- self against the nation's best. Can you imagine if a player like current Bu8alo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who made a name for himself at Wyoming, had been given an oppor- tunity to transfer immediately to a school like USC? Oh, and not only can he play right away, but he can also do as many advertisements as he wants in one of the nation's biggest media markets? The opportunities for NFL prospects at smaller schools to go elsewhere could to be too good to pass up. I love Power Five football, but I also respect what schools in the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West, among others, have been able to accomplish over the years. I'd hate to see them be put at a major disadvantage a9er developing a player. The people in charge of college ath- letics still have a few years to 7gure this out, but it's clear that change is coming and it's coming fast. It's also clear that the NCAA doesn't have a choice anymore. It's time to allow its student-athletes to get in on the ac- tion. ■ For Warren, team's success outweighs individual acclaim Throughout the process, all three coaches were open and honest with us. I think that says a lot about the culture and the type of people who are at Penn State. That's what excited me and my parents about the opportunity. " " U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L CLICK HERE to see video of Warren in action.

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