Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
A P R I L 2 0 2 5 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Comparisons are always tricky because no two humans are exactly the same. That is dou- bly true when comparing the skills and playing styles of football players. So, let's relax for a second and have some fun. Penn State has a room full of elite tight ends whose skills vary despite their similar (gigantic) size and stature. To help us assess the competition in this room, it's useful to find some comparable play- ers without being hamstrung by the need for "responsibility." The point is to highlight playing styles, athletic abilities and applicable skills, not to suggest that fans should expect active college players to follow the same career path as the current or former NFL tight ends cited below. Now, let's get irresponsible. CURRENT PLAYER: Khalil Dinkins COMPARABLE PLAYER: Brenton Strange Admittedly, this first comparison is relatively reasonable. At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Dinkins is neither the biggest nor the fastest player in the room, but he's a complete tight end. With Tyler Warren jetting around the formation, Dinkins spent quite a bit of time last season as the inline Y tight end attached to the hip of the left or right tackle. He was strong in the run game, from down blocks to second-level blocks and everything in between. Much like Strange, a former Penn State starter now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dinkins lacks the elite measurables, but his pro- duction and effectiveness are not in question. CURRENT PLAYER: Andrew Rappleyea COMPARABLE PLAYER: Pat Freiermuth Like Freiermuth, a PSU alum who just com- pleted his fourth season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rappleyea is a former New England prep standout with a comparable build and temperament. They both lack elite downfield speed and separation skills, but Rappleyea presents a similar target in the passing game. He's got a big, powerfully built frame, shows quickness through routes, and has the ability to get first downs with tough yardage after the catch. We didn't get to see that come to fruition in his redshirt freshman season, but he'll have a chance in 2025 if he's recovered from his season-ending injury. Before he was hurt, Rappleyea put some very impressive tape together in last year's opener against West Virginia. CURRENT PLAYER: Luke Reynolds COMPARABLE PLAYER: George Kittle Listed at 6-4, Reynolds is physically similar to Kittle, a five-time All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers. Both players have a bouncy explosiveness to their game. Reynolds possesses elite jumping ability and skills that hint he's a contested-catch dominator. Last year, Reynolds showed above-average run-blocking ability for a fresh- man. He didn't always win his reps, and there were some technical issues. When he was on, though, it was impressive. Just like Kittle, Reynolds could be a complete tight end who generates explosive plays down- field while providing run support by punching above his weight. CURRENT PLAYER: Andrew Olesh COMPARABLE PLAYER: Travis Kelce As noted above, these comparisons are ir- responsible. The point of comparing Olesh, a January enrollee, to Kelce, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, isn't to create unrealistic expec- tations but to describe the freshman's playing style. Olesh is more of a finesse tight end than Rap- pleyea, Dinkins and Reynolds. He's got an elite frame but is very raw and tentative as a blocker. Kelce is one of his generation's best receiving tight ends but wasn't known, even in his prime, for being a gritty blocker. Olesh has his whole career to change that comparison, but that's his level of blocking exposure for now. However, the positives outweigh the per- ceived negatives in this comparison. Olesh has massive hands and some of the most natural receiving abilities among the tight ends who have come to Penn State in the past decade. CURRENT PLAYER: Brian Kortovich COMPARABLE PLAYER: Dawson Knox Kortovich is a twitched-up, insanely athletic jumbo athlete for Penn State. Unlike Olesh or Reynolds (when he was a freshman), Kortovich is already 226 pounds and looks the part. Maybe this comparison is just for the handful of people who know of Knox, a former Ole Miss player now with the Buffalo Bills, but few athletes in the NFL are more physically gifted. The 6-4, 252-pound Knox hit 21 mph at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2019 while also surpassing 10 feet in the broad jump. Knox shared the field with future NFL receivers DK Metcalf and A.J. Brown at Ole Miss, so he wasn't targeted as often as he would have been elsewhere. But if you're looking for a raw ball of clay, you could do a whole lot worse. Kor- tovich offers Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle much the same. CURRENT PLAYER: Matt Henderson COMPARABLE PLAYER: Greg Olsen To be completely transparent, I am less familiar with Henderson's game than with the rest of the group. We land on Olsen because when we plug in the heights, weights, arm lengths and 40 times, the computer spits out a list with the former Carolina Panthers Pro Bowler near the top. Olsen was a vertical threat as a tight end, but unlike the modern players, he played from an inline position more than he did split into the slot. On film, Henderson looks to be an explosive receiver with great length and good hands. He'll need to fill out significantly to reach that threshold, but since we're throwing caution to the wind in this thought experiment, we don't want to shortchange him. — Thomas Frank Carr These Comparisons Shed Light On PSU's Tight End Battle Andrew Rappleyea missed nearly all of last season with an injury but could be ready for a bounce-back year in 2025. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL