Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144988
| t was no secret going into Penn State's 2012 season that the tight ends were going to be among the biggest beneficiaries of Bill O'Brien's appointment as head coach. One look at the New England Patriots' offense was enough to make that point abundantly clear. And sure enough, the tight ends went on to catch 83 passes for 1,097 yards and 10 touchdowns in O'Brien's first season. One of them – freshman Kyle Carter – won first-team All-Big Ten honors in the process. Now comes year two, and the tight end position looks to be the deepest on the team. Returning are Carter, Jesse James and Matt Lehman. Added to the mix are Brent Wilkerson and top prospect Adam Breneman. Carter was having a breakout freshman season before missing three of the team's last four games with ankle and wrist injuries. Despite the premature ending, he finished the season ranked second on the team with 36 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns. He sat out spring practice but expects to be in the starting lineup when Penn State opens its season Aug. 31 against Syracuse. "When I first had the injury and the John Beale surgery and everything, the doctor told me I wasn't going to be able to do spring ball at all, not even the no-contact stuff," Carter said. "But the rehab has definitely been going along well. I'm definitely coming back ahead of schedule. I've been able to do seven-on-seven, oneon-one. So I'm definitely excited that I'm coming back ahead of schedule." Wilkerson redshirted a season ago, while Breneman, a true freshman, suffered an ACL tear and missed his senior season at Cedar Cliff High School. Still, the nation's top tight end prospect figures to be in the mix once the season begins. James, who enrolled at Penn State in January 2012, had a strong freshman season with five touchdown receptions, second-best on the team behind Allen Robinson. Gary Gilliam, who came to Penn State as a tight end, shifted to the offensive line, creating more of an opportunity for younger players like Wilkerson and Breneman to earn playing time this season. "This year, as everyone knows, we have an abundance of tight ends, so [the coaches are] definitely expanding it for us, getting more of us on the field and getting us in different positions,"