Penn State coach James Franklin had a direct response when he asked if Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle was getting enough credit for his good the room bas been over the past five years.
“No.” he said.
Franklin had a lot more to say about this group— led by potential Heisman candidate Tyler Warren— during his weekly presser Monday.
“I don’t think it’s talked about enough,” he said. “There’s no school in the country, there’s no program in the country that is doing what we are doing with tight ends right now and really over the last 10 years. Ty Howle has come into that position as a Penn State letterman and I think has taken it to a whole ‘nother level.”
Looking at the data, it’s hard to argue against Franklin.
TEU?
Penn State athletics
Penn State was already developing a knack for quality tight end play before Howle returned to his Alma Mater. In Franklin’s first six seasons, Mike Gesicki and Pat Freiermuth became stars and today are NFL regulars. But under Howle, that reputation has intensified.
First it was Brenton Strange, who became a star over the 2021 and ‘22 seasons. Strange is now with Jacksonville. Current New York Giant Theo Johnson was Penn State’s No. 1 tight end last season.
Now, Warren is the man, and if you don’t know what Warren has been doing, you haven’t been paying attention to Penn State football.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Warren will be out of eligibility after this season but, as hard as it may be to believe, Penn State just might be ok without him. Five-star Luke Reynolds is already seeing playing time as a true freshman and Andrew Rappleyea, who unfortunately has missed almost all season with an injury, is another blue-chipper.
We also can’t forget about Khalil Dinkins, who is getting a lot of playing time and has impressed Franklin and the staff with his blocking.
“We’re recruiting the best tight ends in the country,” Franklin said, “we’re developing the best tight ends in the country. It’s a competitive room, you have to embrace that. And then you just look at what’s happening after they get done. embrace that. Then, you just look at what’s happening after they get done playing at Penn State. They’re all getting their degrees, and they’re all getting drafted, and the majority of them are getting drafted very high.”
Franklin then had a message for prospective tight end recruits.
“If you’re a great tight end in the country, and specifically in the state of Pennsylvania, I don’t know how you couldn’t come here. There’s just too much history, there’s too much data, and there’s too many things saying you don’t need to go anywhere else. You can stay at home and get everything you want in terms of your college career and also setting you up for your future.
DID FRANKLIN HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAYER IN MIND?
Courtesy Andrew Olesh
If Franklin wasn’t referring specifically to Andrew Olesh, it would be a coincidence. We’re less than three weeks out from the early signing period, which starts Dec. 4 and ends Dec. 6, and there’s still talk that Penn State could flip the Southern Lehigh High School (Center Valley) star. Olesh is the No. 1 overall player in PA per 247Sports and visited Penn State for the Nov. 2 game against Ohio State.
Penn State next plays at Minnesota Nov. 23 at 3:30 on CBS.
