Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
4 8 A U G U S T 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 3 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTER ★★★ Brenton Strange is gone after totaling a position-high 32 catches for 362 yards and 5 touchdowns last fall. The good news for Penn State is that junior Theo Johnson was some- thing of a co-starter last year and earned comparable grades from Pro Football Focus — a 70.8 overall offensive grade (slightly higher than Strange's 70.0) and a 59.1 run- blocking mark (slightly below Strange's 60.5). In June, Johnson was admitted into Centre County's six-month accelerated rehabilitative disposition program following an altercation at a fraternity in February and a subsequent misdemeanor assault charge. James Franklin has not commented publicly about the inci- dent, but Johnson did sit out spring practice. While it's unknown whether he'll miss any time at the start of the season, he figures to be TE1 in 2023 and will have every chance to become a national name and shoot up NFL Draft boards in the process. EXPERIENCE ★★★ Penn State lacks experience at some spots on offense, but tight end is not one of them. Johnson has played in 31 games during his first three seasons, while junior Tyler War- ren has appeared in 26. There is not much proven talent behind that pair, but barring an injury or two, the experience at the top of the depth chart should be adequate. DEPTH ★★ The Lions have amassed a lot of talent here, with Johnson and freshmen Jerry Cross, Joey Schlaffer and Andrew Rappleyea all having earned four-star grades in the On3 Industry Ranking. The Lions also have high hopes for redshirt sophomore Khalil Dinkins, who played sparingly last year but appears ticketed for a bigger role this fall. Penn State did lose a tight end in June when three-star 2023 recruit Mega Barnwell chose to leave school, but it was not clear whether Barnwell had a future at the posi- tion or was more likely to end up on either the offensive or defensive line. OVERALL GRADE ★★★ Penn State's tight ends improved in 2022, and Franklin believes they can be better in 2023. This may well end up being a top-10 group nationally by the end of the season, but there's not enough proven experience coming back to make such a brash pro- nouncement in July. BY THE NUMBERS 3rd True freshman Andrew Rappleyea's place among tight ends in the On3 Industry Ranking for the class of 2023. The only tight ends in his class who were ranked higher were Duce Robinson of Phoenix and Pearce Spurlin of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. Robinson signed with USC, while Spurlin landed with Georgia. 4 Number of Penn State tight ends who have been drafted during the James Franklin coaching era. Before Brenton Strange went to Jacksonville in the second round of the 2023 draft, the Nittany Lions sent Jesse James to Pittsburgh (fifth round, 2015), Mike Gesicki to Miami (second round, 2018) and Pat Freiermuth to Pittsburgh (second round, 2021). 7 Receiving touchdowns by Penn State tight ends who are returning in 2023. Johnson caught 4 a year ago, which was tied for fourth among Big Ten tight ends, while Warren hauled in 3. 2022 vs. 2023 Stock Up Or Down Ordinarily, when you lose a guy to the NFL who ends up going in the second round, you'd expect to find yourself trending down. But at worst, Penn State is probably holding steady following Brenton Strange's exit, thanks to the return of experienced juniors Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren and the pres- ence of young talent like true freshman Andrew Rappleyea, the No. 3 tight end prospect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. X-Factor Might the Nittany Lions be tempted to lean on the tight ends if their wide receivers aren't as produc- tive as hoped this fall? Coach James Franklin alluded to that possibility in the spring. He said that while he would prefer to run an "11 personnel" offense most of the time, deploying one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers, he'll adapt to the circumstances. "If our second-best tight end is better than our third wide receiver, then we're going to be in more 12 personnel," Franklin said, referring to a grouping that would feature one running back, two tight ends and two wideouts. Freshman Outlook Of the three freshman-eligible players on the roster, Jerry Cross appears to be the most prepared to see action. He was on campus last fall but ended up redshirting because of an injury. True freshmen Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer were both among On3's top-10 tight end prospects for the class of 2023, with the latter ranking ninth nationally. But Rappleyea didn't arrive on campus un- til the early summer, while Schlaffer is listed at 230 pounds and will need to add some weight to his 6-foot-5 frame. — Matt Herb Theo Johnson led all Penn State pass catchers with an average of 16.4 yards per reception last season. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE