STATE COLLEGE − Coach James Franklin offered a strong, succinct proclamation about his senior tight end in the postgame interview room:
“Tyler Warren is the best tight end in college football.”
Could Penn State football also have the best tight end group, too?
Start with Warren, after he helped the Nittany Lions tear through Kent State, 56-0, Saturday in Beaver Stadium.
Two weeks after breaking a school record for receiving yards by a tight end, Warren dominated the Golden Flashes in almost every way imaginable.
He caught a touchdown. He threw for a touchdown. He even ran for a first down as a wildcat quarterback.
Sep 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) makes a catch in the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
He topped it off by stabbing a Drew Allar pass with one hand along the sideline — somehow holding onto the ball while absorbing a wicked hit.
“The tight end position isn’t supposed to be about (just) receiving yards, it’s about complete players, blockers, receivers, rushers, throwing the ball,” Franklin said, smiling. “I told him that was one of the ugliest touchdown passes I’ve ever seen, but it went for a touchdown, which is all that matters.”
Of course, Warren was a left-handed quarterback in Virginia before coming to Penn State. But it still was an unexpected wrinkle when the 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end took a second-quarter snap behind the center Saturday and quickly threw to tailback Nick Singleton sprinting to his left.
Singleton easily jogged into the end zone for the 17-yard score.
Warren led the Lions with five catches for 50 yards and had his own 16-yard TD reception. He leads the team with 16 catches on the season for 226…
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