Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
2 2 N O V E M 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 chanicsville, Va., arriving at Penn State as a three-star prospect in the 2020 class. He was not fast-tracked to the field due to his transition to tight end and red- shirted as a true freshman, seeing action in only two games. Over the two seasons that followed, Warren caught 15 passes for 184 yards and 4 touchdowns as a backup, but he saw more snaps than those numbers would suggest. Last year, he was Penn State's No. 2 tight end behind Theo Johnson. After hauling in 34 receptions for 422 yards and a team-high 7 touch- downs, he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. Warren could have joined Johnson in the NFL Draft after the 2023 season but opted to return to Penn State. He an- nounced his decision a few weeks before catching 5 passes for 127 yards against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. While the Nittany Lions lost that game, it offered a sneak preview of Warren's 2024 sea- son. Through six games, he had totaled 40 catches for 513 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. In addition, he had rushed for a touchdown and thrown for another score, and he had drawn frequent praise for his blocking. Throughout the cam- paign, Franklin and position coach Ty Howle have called him the most com- plete tight end in college football. "It's rare nowadays that there are guys who can control the 'C' gap at a high level in blocking but also can 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 guys. He's a really good blocker, physical, can run routes, and be a multi-tool tight end. It's a huge separator. People have to make hard decisions on how they want to play us and play Tyler. "That's the beauty of being an all- around tight end. They can't put you in a box. He gives us flexibility and creates problems for opponents." The senior has grown as a leader this year, too, which only furthers his impact on the Nittany Lions. He's a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which is given annually to the nation's top scholar- athlete. There may be something he can't do on or off the field, but good luck finding it. "He's just so consistent in what he does," Allar said. "It's very valuable. He's probably one of the most consistent guys on our team, on both sides of the ball. And obviously, he's a really big target, so that's nice. He just finds ways to get open. He does a really good job of feeling zone versus man [coverage], and he's su- per 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 an open field." A Team Player Heading into Penn State's visit to Wis- consin on Oct. 26, Warren had caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games. He had 89 career receptions to rank third all-time among Nittany Lion tight ends and 15 receiving touchdowns to tie for second. And he's got the second half of the 2024 regular season and a yet-to-be- determined number of postseason games in which to add to his statistical portfolio. It'll be difficult to top his performance Warren's acrobatic 32-yard touchdown catch at the start of the third quarter helped launch Penn State's comeback bid at USC. The Nittany Lions had trailed 20-6 at halftime. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL "I've been talking about him being the best tight end in college football, but the reality is, he's now part of a conversation as one of the best players in all of college football." J A M E S F R A N K L I N O N W A R R E N