Tyler Warren passes Pat Freiermuth for most TDs by a TE in Penn State program history
STATE COLLEGE — When Penn State tight end Tyler Warren found the end zone during Saturday's 27-11 win over UCLA, he etched his name in the Nittany Lions football record book.
Warren's 5-yard touchdown reception from Drew Allar in the second quarter was his 17th at Penn State, propelling him into first all-time among tight ends in program history.
Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, who played in Happy Valley from 2018-20, held the record with 16.
Warren, a senior from Mechanicsville, Va., has caught 14 touchdown passes in a Nittany Lions uniform and rushed for three more.
"I'm very honored to be in that conversation considering the long line of tight ends that have played in this room," Warren said. "The thing about football is, I can't score touchdowns by myself. There's a lot of guys who have helped me along the way — linemen blocking guys, the quarterback throwing the ball, receivers running certain routes to get me open — so I think that really speaks to the game and how important the 10 other guys around you are."
The 6-foot-6, 261-pound Warren tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns last year, catching 34 passes for 422 yards.
This season, in first-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's system, Warren continues to thrive.
With three more grabs for 29 yards Saturday, he leads Penn State by a wide margin in receptions (23) to go along with 289 yards.
While Kotelnicki has enjoyed utilizing backup quarterback Beau Pribula as a Swiss army knife, Warren has been deployed in a similar fashion.
Penn State occasionally uses him in the backfield as a rusher or on direct snaps, while Warren also flexes out as a traditional wide receiver in addition to working at the line of scrimmage as a blocker.
"It's fun," Warren said. "I look at it as just being able to have another little wrinkle in our offense and cause a little more stress to the defense we go against. That's why I like doing it, to be able to help our offense in the long run, just get more looks that (defenses) have to prepare for — it's really good for us."
Penn State has a multitude of weapons on offense.
Tailbacks Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton ensure opposing defenses don't get any plays off in the run game, and a new-look receivers room increasingly looks the part of a solid position group for the Nittany Lions.
But Warren's versatility makes him one of Penn State's most valuable assets.
"He's dependable," coach James Franklin said. "The guy does his job and does it on a consistent basis, whether it's blocking, whether it's running with the ball as a ball-carrier, whether it's as a receiver. Again, when (defenses) can't put Tyler Warren into a category, that's what makes tight ends most valuable.
"If he's just a receiver, they can treat him like a receiver and treat it as 10-personnel. If he's just kind of a big, run-blocking slug, then that's not a threat either. But when he can do either/or, it makes it very, very difficult to defend."
This preseason, Warren landed on the watchlist for the John Mackey Award, given to the top tight end in the nation.
Since the award was established in 2000, a Penn State tight end has never won one.
With the way Warren's playing, Franklin has no problem beating the drum on his behalf.
"If you throw the ball in his direction, he's going to catch it, break tackles and make positive yards," Franklin said. "I think he's the best tight end in college football, and I think his play warrants that."
