Penn State tight end Tyler Warren will return for 2024 season
By Greg Pickel
Penn State junior Tyler Warren took to social media the night before he and the No. 10 Nittany Lions left for the Peach Bowl to say it would not be his final game in blue and white. The Virginia native is coming back to State College for another collegiate season in 2024.
Warren led the Lions in touchdowns with seven during the 2023 regular season. Over the last few years, he has been used as a versatile tight end who can block and catch, a trick play passer, and a key member of the program’s short-yardage ‘T’ formation, among other things. What he has not been, yet, is the leading tight end for the Lions. But, with Theo Johnson off to the NFL after the bowl game, that should change next year. It was not an end-all, be-all part of his final decision. But, it certainly could not have hurt his pros and cons list.
“I think there’s a lot of a lot of different things,” Warren said Tuesday. “I’m very excited about it. And, excited to get back. But I still think, right now I’m focused on the Peach Bowl. There’s a lot to accomplish with this team. So I think right now, that’s really where my main focus is. But I’m definitely excited about it. There’s a lot of things that went into it.”
Warren’s decision is good news for Penn State
In 2022, Warren was the oft-used third tight end behind Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson. In 2023, he and Johnson often were on the field together. Warren finished the regular season with 627 snaps to Johnson’s 617. Both figure to be used heavily in the Peach Bowl. But Warren may see more run than Johson, considering what sits on the horizon for both.
Either way, Warren will lead a Penn State tight end room next season that is also set to feature returner Khalil Dinkins, third year Lion Jerry Cross, second-year talents Andrew Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer, and four-star Class of 2024 signee Luke Reynolds.
“We’ve done a really good job of recruiting and developing the tight ends room,” Lions coach James Franklin said. I think Tyler really helps us. Because, there’s some guys behind him we think are really talented. But, it sure is nice to have a veteran back while those guys are gaining some experience. So you know, a real positive for us in this game and a real positive for us moving into the [2024] season.”
The move is a real positive for Warren too, of course. He does not yet have the NFL Draft profile Johnson does. But, he has the talent to reach that level or even exceed it by this time next year.
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“Obviously him and Theo both had some decisions to make,” Franklin said. “Theo made his decision, and we’re very, very supportive of that. And, Tyler made his, and obviously we’re supportive and excited about that. Now, we have a responsibility for all these guys, just like we did with Olu [Fashanu], to make sure that we do everything in our power, that it was the right decision. And again, healthy discussions with both Tyler, Tyler’s mom and dad, Coach [Ty] Howle, myself, [strength coach] Chuck Losey of what that would look like.
“And we’ve been fortunate, [General Manager of Personnel and Recruitment] Andy Frank does a really good job, him and Chuck Losey, working with all the NFL scouts and GMs and getting really good feedback about where guys are at. But, the other thing is, not where you’re being anticipated or predicted of being drafted, what are your strengths? And then what are your weaknesses? And if a guy decides to come back, how do we attack those weaknesses over the next seven months so that they’re in a much better position next year, and so are we as an organization.”
