When a player like Tyler Warren leaves your program, there’s usually a bit of panic. But not at Penn State. James Franklin was calm, confident, and even a little excited when asked about replacing Warren’s impact on the offense during Big Ten media days.
“Tyler was a special player,” Franklin said. “An all-time season in Penn State history—and really college football history.”
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That’s high praise. And Warren earned every bit of it with the way he came back for one more year and dominated. But Franklin didn’t flinch when it came to what’s next.
He mentioned three names right away—Khalil Dinkins, Andrew Rappleyea, and Luke Reynolds. None are household names yet. But according to Franklin, that might change fast.
“Dinkins is a guy not a whole lot of people are talking about, but I think should be,” he said. “Rappleyea was in position to play a bunch last year before a season-ending injury, and then Luke Reynolds. They’re three guys that we think will be very productive in the tight end room.”
That’s the beauty of Penn State’s tight end room—it just keeps producing. Franklin’s tight end development track record speaks for itself. Over the last five years, he’s had as much production from that group as anyone in the country. Whether it was Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson, or Warren, the room stays stacked.
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Franklin isn’t just throwing out names to fill space. He’s genuinely confident in the group’s ability to spread the field and open up the offense again in 2025.
And he doesn’t expect one guy to do it all this time. It’s going to be more committee-based, which might actually be tougher for defenses. “What we hope to do is spread the ball around,” Franklin said. “In a lot of ways, I think it makes us more difficult to defend when there’s more guys on the field that we think can impact the game at any moment.”
With a quarterback like Drew Allar who can make every throw and has built-in chemistry with his tight ends, there’s real potential for this group to shine early in the season.
Warren’s shoes are big. But Franklin isn’t looking to fill them with one man. He’s trusting the depth, experience, and raw talent of three capable tight ends who are hungry for a bigger role.
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And if Penn State’s offense takes the leap people expect this year, don’t be surprised if it’s the tight end room—again—that quietly becomes one of the biggest reasons why.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Why Penn State’s tight ends could be the x-factor in 2025
