Penn State's Tight Ends Ready to Become the 'Adjusters'
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. | Penn State has quite a run going at tight end. From Mike Gesicki to Pat Freiermuth to Brenton Strange, coach James Franklin and his staff placed three straight starting tight ends into the second round of their respective NFL Drafts. Theo Johnson could be next on that list.
After tying the team lead with seven receiving touchdowns as a captain in 2023, Johnson leaves Penn State with a sizable hole to fill, literally and figuratively. It was in doubt for a while, but Tyler Warren will, in fact, return for Penn State after also pulling down seven touchdowns in a career year. Warren’s production speaks for itself, and he’ll have a chance this year to break the career receiving touchdowns record by a tight end at Penn State (he's four behind Gesicki and Freiermuth, who have 15).
The Lions played out two-tight end sets often the past two seasons, and Franklin doesn’t seem particularly inclined to change that. Enter Andrew Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer. The redshirt freshmen tight ends got their feet wet behind Johnson and Warren last season. Rappleyea was a consensus 4-star prospect in the 2023 class, while Schlaffer had both 3- and 4-star rankings. From marveling at the size of new teammates when they walked into the Lasch Football Building to some humbling practice moments, they’re past freshman jitters. And as happy as they are to still have Warren at their side, Rappleyea and Schlaffer are both keenly aware of the positional competition they’ll enter this spring.
"Just cut out the noise, trust the process and chase your dream has been the biggest thing for me,” Rappleyea said during Penn State’s recent media session with its second-year players “I try to cut out the media. I don't really listen to it. I know where I stand among my tight end room. I know what I feel. I know what I'm capable of. It just comes down to executing it.”
Rappleyea played in three games this season, while Schlaffer did not see the field. But Schlaffer has been recognized three times already by tight ends coach Ty Howle as the winter workout competitor of the day. Also in the tight end group is Khalil Dinkins, a redshirt junior who caught two touchdowns last season and carved out a role in special packages. Jerry Cross was a highly touted recruit in 2022 but has struggled to get on the field. Five-star freshman Luke Reynolds has entered the fold, too, as one of this year’s early enrollees.
Schlaffer, whose brother Michal Menet played offensive line at Penn State, saw the talented room he was entering as motivation. Schlaffer was aware of Penn State's recent tight ends pedigree and looks to those NFL Draft numbers as proof of the process.
“Everyone's had their time. It's not like anyone that's been a star here became a star overnight, right? It's taken years and just lots and lots and lots of practice,” Schlaffer said. “So I'm confident that I can become what all those guys were and are. And I'm excited to see what happens.”
Franklin said the decision to use so many two-tight-end sets hinges on practice competitions between the third wide receiver and second tight end. The coach has been adamant that Penn State needs to tailor its offense to its personnel rather than the coordinator’s scheme, especially with Andy Kotelnicki replacing Mike Yurcich on staff. Rappleyea and Schlaffer will be part of convincing Kotelnicki to continue using two-tight-end sets in 2024.
“The more plays we're making, if we have more tight ends are gonna make plays, we're all gonna play. That's the biggest thing that coach Howle and coach Franklin preach for us,” Rappleyea said. “If you can play, you’re gonna play.”
Schlaffer said Kotelnicki has been calling his tight ends the “adjusters” in his offense. Known for his offensive creativity and frequently unique action, Kotelnicki could use the position in a lot of different ways. He’s also simplified the position in a few positive ways, Schlaffer added.
“He's come in with high energy every day. Everyone responds to it. They like the way he goes about coming into meetings, his energy,” Schlaffer said. “And I think everyone has a really good vibe with him. He's a likable guy. We're all behind him, 100 percent."
The redshirt freshmen also recognize what Johnson and Warren did for them as well. Both Johnson and Warren were nursing injuries when the freshmen arrived, and even in that time, Schlaffer noted the way they watched film and attacked rehabilitation.
“The more and more that I was around them, I kind of understood that like every area that it took to be successful, they checked the box,” Schlaffer said. “[There's] so many different fields of being a football player that if you're not doing all of it to your best ability, you won't be successful. You have to be on all of your Ps and Qs.”
This offseason is pivotal at tight end, not only for Schlaffer and Rappleyea but also for Penn State as a whole. Offensive improvement will be key to the Lions' quest for make the College Football Playoff. Warren returns as a known commodity, but opportunity awaits for others.
“You only get so many years in college. From a physical standpoint, I feel I'm ready to go. I feel I've worked really hard in my freshman year, I got a lot of experience from older guys above me,” Rappleyea said. “I just think that it's a big opportunity for me. Like I said, I'm gonna try to capitalize on it.”
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Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.
