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about any opening. That was a long- standing policy under Joe Paterno, and Howle was one of Paterno's last recruits, joining the Nittany Lions in 2009 after twice winning All-State honors while playing for his father at Bunn. Howle "wears his pride for the univer- sity on his chest each day," Franklin said in a statement announcing the hire. "His contributions as a member of the 2012 team and as a captain in 2013 will long be remembered by Penn State fans." After redshirting as a true freshman, Howle played in 47 games over the next four seasons, starting 13 games, first at guard then at center, and earning recog- nition as the team's outstanding senior offensive lineman in 2013. When his playing career ended, Howle moved on to North Carolina State, spending two years with the Wolfpack as a graduate assistant. Next came four seasons at Western Illinois, where he served as of- fensive line coach, recruiting coordina- tor and, in his final season, as co-offensive coordinator. He returned to Penn State in 2020 as an offensive ana- lyst, working with the position coaches to develop game plans and recruit. And now he's a Power Five assistant coach, taking over a position group that has consistently been a strength under Franklin. The tight ends figure to be a strength again in 2021. The Nittany Lions may have lost a couple of players, with Pat Freiermuth, last season's Big Ten Tight End of the Year, heading off to the NFL and Zack Kuntz in the transfer portal. But Penn State is bringing back two young players who shined last sea- son after Freiermuth was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Brenton Strange started the team's last five games as a redshirt freshman and finished as its fourth- leading receiver with 17 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while Theo Johnson, a true freshman, played in eight games and caught four passes for 56 yards. A third tight end, Tyler Warren, redshirted while transitioning from quarterback, the position he played for much of his high school career. Howle said he's excited about what the future holds for all three. "Brenton Strange did a great job last year stepping in," he said. "He's gotten better and better every day. He has good short-area quickness and really does some nice things with the ball in his hands, and he knows how to play physi- cal. Theo Johnson, he's looked great through winter workouts so far. He's a big, long, strong guy who can run and can really do some explosive things. I'm really excited about him. He's learned, and he's progressed in the year he's been here as a football IQ guy, as a blocker, as a route runner. So I'm really, really ex- cited about him. And Tyler Warren came in and… has really progressed at the tight end position. He's one of the best athletes on the team in my opinion. He really can run, he's strong, he's physical. He's a guy who doesn't say much, but he works. He competes his tail off, and he's been really, really impressive so far." Howle said he knew from a young age that he wanted to get into coaching after his playing career ended. He was in- spired by his father, who spent 34 sea- sons as a head coach, the last 29 of those seasons at Bunn. Howle had long hoped that he would get that chance at Penn State. He was an undergraduate during one of the univer- sity's most difficult and contentious pe- riods, watching as the Sandusky scandal became major national news and gave ZACK KUNTZ Penn State's o;-sea- son personnel moves continued in February, as Kuntz, a fourth-year tight end, entered the NCAA transfer portal, apparently bringing an end to a PSU career in which he was slowed by injuries and never developed into the frequent contributor that the sta; had envisioned a

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