Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
"I think there's a lot of different things," Warren said in late December. "I'm very excited about it, and excited to get back. But right now, I'm focused on the Peach Bowl. There's a lot to ac- complish with this team, [and] that's really where my main focus is. But I'm definitely excited about it. There are a lot of things that went into it." A Force On Offense In 2022, Warren was the oft-used third tight end behind Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson. In 2023, he and Johnson often were on the field together. Warren finished the regular season with 627 snaps to Johnson's 617. Warren will lead a Penn State tight ends room next season that is also set to feature returner Khalil Dinkins, third-year Lion Jerry Cross, second- year talents Andrew Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer, and four-star class of 2024 signee Luke Reynolds. Dinkins was used extensively as the third tight end in the Peach Bowl. He figures to slot into the No. 2 role Warren vacates. Rappleyea saw playing time as a true freshman despite preserving a year of eligibility. There has been buzz about the Mas- sachusetts native ever since he arrived on campus as a former four-star recruit last August. And, it has not gone away in the six months between then and now. W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 Leading Man Tyler Warren's decision to return in 2024 gives Penn State a veteran presence at the tight end position G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M P enn State junior Tyler Warren took to social media the night before he and the Nittany Lions left for the Peach Bowl to say it would not be his final game in blue and white. The Virginia native is coming back to State College for another collegiate season in 2024. Warren led the Lions in touchdowns with 7 during the 2023 season. During the past few years, he has been used as a versatile tight end who can block and catch, a trick-play passer and a key member of the team's short-yardage "T" formation, among other roles. What he has not been — yet — is the leading tight end at Penn State. But with Theo Johnson off to the NFL, that should change in 2024. It was not an end-all, be-all part of his final decision, but it certainly could not have hurt his pros and cons list. TIGHT ENDS