Blue White Illustrated

KEY PERSONNEL Khalil Dinkins, Theo Johnson*, Brenton Strange*, Tyler War- ren LOSSES Pat Freiermuth*, Zack Kuntz RISING STAR The four scholarship players in Penn State's tight end group have seen action in a combined total of 20 games to date. Pretty much anyone could reasonably be de- scribed as a rising star. Johnson is prob- ably the most deserv- ing of the designation on the grounds that his productivity )g- ures to skyrocket a*er a freshman sea- son in which he played in seven games and caught four passes for 56 yards. But we also can't discount Warren. The former high school quarterback has gained a few pounds since last season and is now listed at 249. He's been cited by the coaches as a high-ceiling player and one of the team's better pure ath- letes. Now that he's had a year to get ac- climated to the position at the college level, it will be interesting to see how the Lions deploy him in 2021. BIGGEST LOSS No matter how much talent the Nittany Lions may have amassed at tight end, they will certainly miss Freiermuth. He was a reliable red zone threat throughout his three colle- giate seasons, totaling 16 touchdowns, the most ever by a Penn State tight end. He was also a team leader who was gen- uinely enthused about playing last fall even though he could easily have opted out and spent the fall preparing for the NFL Dra*. Freiermuth su5ered a shoulder injury against Ohio State in week two but con- tinued to play and had his two most pro- ductive games a*er getting hurt, catch- ing 13 passes for 204 yards against Maryland and Nebraska. The injury ulti- mately forced him to bring a premature end to his Penn State career, but he did enough in his four games to win Big Ten Tight End of the Year honors. And while an unfortunately timed shoulder opera- tion no doubt a5ected his dra* posi- tioning, he still went in the second round to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a fran- chise that has shown it knows how to use a talented tight end. NUMBERS GAME Johnson was part of a contingent of )ve true freshmen who combined to produce 38 percent of Penn State's total yards in 2020. The quintet of newcomers, which also included running backs Keyvone Lee and Caziah Holmes and receivers Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, produced 1,486 yards, the highest total by any group of true freshmen in school history. OUTLOOK As is the case at the running back position, Penn State is probably in better shape at tight end than it would have been if last season hadn't gone so badly awry. With Freiermuth having to bow out a*er four games, Strange had a chance to show what he could do in a starting role, and the former Rivals.com four-star prospect did quite well, )nish- ing fourth on the team with 17 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Having packed on more than 40 pounds since ar- riving from Parkersburg, W.Va., he's now got prototypical tight end size at 6-3, 256, and he combines that newfound physi- cality with a set of sure hands. Whether he'll be as e5ective in the red zone as his predecessor is an open question, but he looks to have all the tools to become an- other success story for a school that has sent three tight ends into the NFL during the Franklin era, the past two as second- rounders. The Lions also have another four-star tight end in Johnson ready to spell Strange when necessary or to serve along with him in two-tight end sets. There's a lot that Penn State can do with those two players, and Warren gives the team a bit of needed depth. Dinkins, meanwhile, is likely to redshirt as he works to put more weight on his 6-4, 221-pound frame. –M.H. * Starting experience at PSU in 2020 TIGHT END NO NAME HT WT YEAR 86 Brenton Strange 6-3 256 Jr./So. 84 Theo Johnson 6-6 250 So./So. 44 Tyler Warren 6-6 249 So./Fr. – Khalil Dinkins 6-4 221 Fr./Fr. P H I L ' S T A K E Even though Pat Freiermuth is gone, Penn State has an excellent chance to )eld one of the best tight end groups in the Big Ten this year. In the )nal four games of the 2020 season, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson performed above everyone's preseason expectations. Strange was Penn State's fourth-leading receiver with 17 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns, and he proved to be a very good blocker. Johnson totaled just four receptions for 56 yards, but de- spite being a Eex TE from Canada, he displayed more blocking prowess than any freshman tight end I've seen at PSU since Kyle Brady in 1991. The added bonus here is that Strange and Johnson can also stretch the )eld vertically. With Tyler Warren reportedly looking good in practice, expect to see more two- and three-TE formations this fall, especially in the red zone. ■ JOHNSON >> Hopes are high despite a major loss P O S I T I O N B R E A K D O W N T I G H T E N D

• Cover