How Penn State’s Tyler Warren has shown he’s the best tight end in college football

There is little that Tyler Warren can’t do on the football field.

The Penn State tight end is a former high school quarterback, who lines up as the signal caller on occasion — sometimes to run, sometimes to throw a pass. He splits out wide to run routes against defensive backs, and he lines up inside to unfurl devastating blocks against defenders.

And on Saturday he broke Penn State’s record for receptions in a game with 17.

Those catches went for 224 yards and a touchdown in the Nittany Lions’ 33-30 overtime win over USC, propelling him into the conversation as one of the best offensive players in the country.

That is what Penn State head coach James Franklin is advocating for after spending the better parts of September and October deeming him the best tight end in the country.

And he might just be right.

But Warren has been built to do all of the things he does — also completing a pass for nine yards and running for another four yards Saturday — and has long felt prepared for those moments.

“I think it really just comes down to we do this all the time,” Warren said. “The way we practice, when we get to the games, we’ve done it before. It’s not something you should be surprised by or anything like that. I think that kind of speaks to our preparation and our coaching staff.”

His preparation has gotten him there, but his ability and work has put him in this position.

He’s the name teams have to focus on every week when they get ready to play Penn State. That has been the case much of the season, and it was again heading into the matchup with USC.

Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley knew he was going to be a handful from the start, and USC safety Kamari Ramsey said despite the game plan the team had, Warren did enough to outdo the defense.

“We had a great game plan going into the game,” Ramsey said. “I think he had a great game and he’s a great player. Made some great catches too. So just tip your hat to him.”

USC’s best efforts were mostly all for nothing. Whether it was by offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s design or Warren’s own ability, the tight end was able to make play after play in the game.

Maybe no play in the game was more impressive than Warren’s touchdown. He lined up at center, like he did in his first year of flag football, and snapped the ball to backup quarterback Beau Pribula, who threw the ball backward to starting quarterback Drew Allar — all while Warren, who was an eligible receiver on the play, ran up the seam to the end zone.

Allar threw the ball up to Warren, who was in poor position and was pushed by the USC defender in coverage. But that didn’t faze him. Instead, he fought back to the ball through the contact and hauled down the contested catch in a play that swung momentum in Penn State’s favor.

It’s those types of plays that make the tight end stand out — in part because Kotelnicki is fearless in how he utilizes him and in part because Warren is fearless in how he plays.

And his teammates have taken notice — even when they don’t realize he’s making history.

“I did not realize that he had 17 catches,” Allar said. “But it just shows the player he is. Super special player, super special teammate. And to have a guy like that on our team that we can depend on no matter what, it’s super good for us, because we know we can rely on (him). And obviously he’s one of the best playmakers we have on our team. ... (He) had an insane game today, and I was just super happy for him. I think he’s shown that he’s the best tight end in the country through the first part of the season. “

That last part of what Allar has said is important. Warren, thus far, has been the best tight end in the country. He will have to continue on that trajectory to be what he has the upside to be — the first tight end off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. For now, he’s pleased with what he has done.

“I’m very happy with the performance, but it’s not something I was shooting for anything like that,” Warren said. “I’m just, you know, doing my job within each play. And I had more receptions this week, so the numbers were a little higher.”

That is largely who Warren has been this season — under the radar, unassuming and practical.

He may stay unassuming and practical.

But, with 40 catches for 513 yards already, there isn’t a game plan the rest of the way where he will fly under the radar.