Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
6 6 O C T O B E R 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 T yler Warren is a well-known player in Penn State circles. The senior, who played quarter- back in high school before changing po- sitions when he reached the college level, has put in a ton of work on and off the field. The Nittany Lions' home opener against Bowling Green marked his 42nd contest in blue and white. He has started at least one game in each of the past two seasons and was a third-team All-Big Ten pick a year ago. Yet, if you looked at the media lists of top returning tight ends in college foot- ball from back in the summer, you would not find his name on the national radar. After two weeks, that's beginning to change. And it's changing in a big way. Before long, Warren's name won't just be known by Penn State fans or seen in the program's record books. It will be re- spected nationally, too. Warren etched his name in program lore against Bowling Green. He hauled in all 8 of the passes that came his way for 146 yards, which is now the most ever by a Penn State tight end in a single game. He had 11 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown over the first two weeks of the season. Attention is coming his way, and it is well-deserved. "He's just so consistent in what he does," junior quarterback Drew Allar said. "It's very valuable. He's very con- sistent, probably one of the most con- sistent guys on our team, on both sides of the ball. Obviously, he's a really big target, so that's nice. He just finds ways to get open, and he does a really good job of feeling zone versus man. He's super crafty and savvy in that aspect of his game. "And obviously, he's a really good run blocker. He's a very complete tight end. It's really nice to have that as an option to throw to when he catches the ball in the open field." Allar's confidence in Warren is widely shared. Coach James Franklin started sending the hype train down the track when he recently called the senior the most complete tight end in the country. "He truly is a weapon in the run game as a blocker," Franklin said. "He truly is a weapon on third down in the passing game." Through two games, Warren is proving Franklin's point. Besides the historic day in the pass-catching department against the Falcons, he also was the key cog in clearing the way for junior running back Nicholas Singleton's 41-yard touchdown run to ice the 34-27 victory. Position coach Ty Howle went a step further in explaining how Warren can influence a game. "It's rare nowadays in football where guys can control the 'C' gap at a high level in blocking but also get open in man-to-man coverage and do a ton of different jobs from a mental standpoint," Howle said. "He's one of those rare guys who is a really good blocker, he's physi- cal, he understands how to run routes and can really be a multi-tool tight end." "You find a lot of guys who are really good in one aspect or two aspects, and I think for him, the progression has been that he's good in all of it." Warren does not toot his own horn. Whenever asked about his stellar play, he's quick to point out what a teammate's actions or coach's call did to set it up. He was asked about his big game against Bowling Green and noted that coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's offense showcases different play- ers from week to week, as it did on opening day when redshirt junior receiver Har- rison "Trey" Wallace III was the star with 5 catches for 117 yards. "This game plan had some shots for the tight ends, and that's what was open," Warren said. "But like you saw [at West Virginia] with Trey, he had a lot of big plays. And I think it just speaks to the skill we have around the of- fense. This week, it was me. Last week, it was Trey. The next game, it could be somebody different, and we'll keep go- ing through the season like that. I think it just kind of speaks to what Coach [Kotel- nicki] has done and how we are embrac- ing offense and spreading the ball." It's more proof that Warren is the kind of player who believes that individual acclaim comes from team success. He is also the guy who has been powering the Penn State offense for two weeks. He's a leader on and off the field, a constant safety net for Allar who can also cash in on chunk plays, and a willing blocker who does the dirty, unrecognized work to help the Lions' talented running backs shine. Put it all together, and the attention and accolades are coming for Warren. Once they arrive, he will be as deserving of them as anybody. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Tyler Warren Deserves The Praise That Is Coming His Way THE LAST WORD Through the team's first two games, Warren is leading the Nittany Lions with 11 catches for 176 yards. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL