Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
5 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 4 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Ty Howle: Howle enters his fourth season as tight ends coach and fifth on the staff after returning to his alma mater as an off-field analyst in 2020. The former PSU letterman, who played on the offensive line in college, received a co-offensive coordinator title ahead of the 2023 season in addition to his posi- tional responsibilities. He teamed with run- ning backs coach Ja'Juan Seider to oversee the offense in Penn State's final three games last season following the dismissal of Mike Yurcich in November. Howle appeared in 47 games as a player, rotating between guard and center, and made 13 career starts. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at NC State in his native North Carolina and later spent four seasons at Western Illinois, where he rose to the position of associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator under former Penn State quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS JERRY CROSS R-So. | 6-5 | 268 • Played in five games last fall, finishing the season without a catch. • Spent much of his first season on campus dealing with an injury and saw no game action while preserving his freshman eli- gibility. • Received a four-star grade in the On3 In- dustry Ranking in 2022 and was the No. 15 tight end nationally and No. 6 prospect in Wisconsin. • Enrolled at Penn State in January 2022, par- ticipated in spring practice and had a 1-yard catch in the Blue-White Game. KHALIL DINKINS R-Jr. | 6-4 | 253 • Caught 5 passes for 57 yards and 2 touch- downs in 12 games during his redshirt sophomore season last fall. • Played in eight games during the 2022 sea- son, finishing with 4 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. • Did not see action during his first season at Penn State but was twice named the scout team's offensive player of the week. • Was a four-year letterman at North Al- legheny (Pa.) High and a team captain as a senior. ANDREW RAPPLEYEA R-Fr. | 6-4 | 250 • Played in three games during his first year at Penn State, retaining his freshman eli- gibility. • Was a four-star recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking and the No. 2 tight end in the class of 2023 according to On3. • Earned team MVP honors at Milton (Mass.) Academy in 2022. • Caught 23 passes for 499 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior. JOEY SCHLAFFER R-Fr. | 6-5 | 242 • Did not see action during his true freshman season at Penn State. • Was a four-star recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking and a January 2023 enrollee. • Was a three-time Class 5A all-state selec- tion at Exeter Township High in Reading, Pa. • Caught 38 passes for 879 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior in 2022. TYLER WARREN Sr. | 6-6 | 257 • Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and an honorable mention nod from the media after catching 34 passes for 422 yards and 7 touchdowns last fall. • Appeared in 12 games and started three as a sophomore in 2022, catching 10 passes for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. • Appeared in all 13 games in 2021, totaling 5 catches for 61 yards and a touchdown while adding 2 rushing scores. • Played in two games as a true freshman. NEWCOMER LUKE REYNOLDS Fr. | 6-4 | 241 • Was a four-star recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, as well as the No. 4 tight end and No. 62 overall prospect in the class of 2024. • Caught 48 passes for 754 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior at Cheshire (Conn.) Academy. BY THE NUMBERS 4th True freshman Luke Reynolds' place among tight ends in the On3 Industry Ranking for the class of 2024. Reynolds was the highest-ranked player in Penn State's class, placing 62nd among all prospects in the most recent recruiting cycle. 5 Number of Penn State tight ends who have been drafted during the James Franklin coaching era. Before Theo Johnson went to the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, the Nittany Lions sent Jesse James to Pittsburgh (fifth round, 2015), Mike Gesicki to Miami (second round, 2018), Pat Freiermuth to Pittsburgh (second round, 2021) and Brenton Strange to Jacksonville (second round, 2023). 16 Receiving touchdowns by Penn State tight ends last year, the most by any FBS team. Tyler Warren and Johnson tied for the team lead with 7 touchdown catches apiece. Quick Facts Position coach: Ty Howle (fourth season) Returning starter: Tyler Warren (15 career starts) Departing starter: Theo Johnson (29) Projected new starters: None Top reserves: Khalil Dinkins, Jerry Cross, Andrew Rappleyea, Joey Schlaffer Newcomer: Luke Reynolds Khalil Dinkins caught only 9 passes in his first two seasons of action at Penn State, but 3 of those grabs went for touchdowns. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL