Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1492675
3 8 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / I t was always Penn State for Andrew Rappleyea, even if the Nittany Lions didn't realize it at the time. In January 2022, tight ends coach Ty Howle found himself in a juggling situ- ation that required some time to work out. As a result, the two sides ended up in an awkward phone call that no player or coach would ever want to be a part of. Rappleyea was ready to jump on board, but the Nittany Lions had just taken a commitment from four-star tight end Neeo Avery after grabbing early pledges from Mega Barnwell and Joey Schlaffer at the position. "I called them Jan. 3. I was like, 'Coach, I want to commit. I'm locked in.' He was like, 'Oh, this is awkward,'" Rappleyea re- called. "They told me that they were go- ing to figure it out and do some moving around. The reality was that it would have been four tight ends. That's hard. "I get what they were saying. They told me from the jump that they would have to honor the word of the guys who got there first. So, that was the reality of that." Rappleyea committed to Michigan three weeks later but kept the Nittany Lions in the back of his mind. He took visits to both in the spring and couldn't shake the feel- ing that his future wasn't in Ann Arbor. When Avery decommitted in March, the logjam at PSU loosened up. Rappleyea broke the news to Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome and flipped to the Nittany Lions on April 3. "I just told him straight up, 'I'm going to go to Penn State. I've always wanted to go there,'" Rappleyea recalled. "I was always fully clear and honest with him, which he appreciated. I don't even remember if he said anything. He was like, 'OK. Thank you, bye.' Then I called Penn State and committed." The internal strife proved worth it. Rappleyea went on to have a sensational senior year and rose up the rankings to be- come the Lions' highest-rated skill posi- tion player in the class of 2023. He settled as the No. 49 player nationally and No. 2 tight end in his class according to On3. Rappleyea has also started to elicit com- parisons to former Penn State standout and current Pittsburgh Steeler Pat Frei- ermuth. Like Freiermuth, he transferred from his original high school in New York into the Massachusetts prep system to fin- ish his career. "Even being put in the same sentence as Pat was kind of like, I don't know if I'm even deserving of that. Because Pat is just an animal," said Rappleyea, who got a chance to train with Freiermuth in the offseason. "I definitely appreciate the comments when people tell me that, but he would probably say the same thing: I'm my own player. Pat is Pat. He's the best version of himself, and he's a damn good player. I want to be the best version of myself, and I'm going to work my tail off to create a name for myself." ■ Rappleyea is the No. 2 tight end recruit nationally for the class of 2023, as rated by On3. PHOTO COURTESY RAPPLEYEA FAMILY Andrew Rappleyea After detour, four-star tight end ends up right where he wanted to be S E A N F I T Z | S E A N. F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M TE | 6-4 | 235 Milton (Mass.) Academy Millbrook, N.Y. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHHH 102 3 3 On3 HHHH 49 2 2 ESPN HHHH 203 7 3 Rivals HHHH 175 7 3 247Sports HHHH 175 10 4 Statistics • Caught 23 passes for 499 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior, while adding 45 tackles, including 6 for loss and 3 sacks, plus 2 interceptions on defense • Finished with 21 catches for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns as a junior Notable • Was a captain and team MVP as a senior • Earned All-New England Prep School Ath- letic Conference honors in 2021 and '22 • Was named to the Boston Herald All-Scho- lastic Team in 2021 and '22. Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on April 3, 2022 • Recruited by tight ends coach Ty Howle • Originally committed to Michigan before flipping to Penn State • Officially visited on June 17, 2022 2023 Projection The tight ends room is packed right now, but Rappleyea comes in as physically ready as any Penn State tight end signee since Pat Freiermuth in 2018. It would not be a shock if he pressed for time as a true freshman behind or with established juniors Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "The most exciting part of Rappleyea's game is his route running. He's advanced in nearly every skill as- pect, especially for a tight end. He gets off the line of scrimmage well, sells routes with head fakes and can create sharp cuts at the stem with good athleticism and technique." HEADER T H E R A P P L E Y E A F I L E