Penn State has the best tight end in the nation. Boise State must track ‘elite’ target
If a tight end is a team’s leading receiver, that squad is either struggling in its passing game or that tight end is really good.
When the tight end is a College Football Playoff team’s leading receiver, you can safely assume it’s the latter.
That’s certainly the case with Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who will challenge Boise State’s defense in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, a game that’s one of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Warren has a team-high 1,095 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 92 receptions for the Nittany Lions. That’s more than double the number of catches for their No. 2 receiver, Harrison Wallace III (43), and 400-plus yards more than Wallace’s output in yardage (686).
Warren’s efforts earned him this year’s John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. If you need any idea of how highly touted he is, he’s been compared to the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, who has the most receiving yards in franchise history for the four-time Super Bowl champions.
“Tyler Warren is elite, and that’s not just my opinion,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said. “I’m very positive he’s going to be probably the first tight end taken off the board in the NFL Draft.”
What makes Warren even more dangerous is his ability to line up anywhere along the line of scrimmage — in any of the receiver spots, in the backfield as a fullback, and even taking snaps under center from the shotgun.
“It’s just a lot of different ways that we like to use him, which makes him difficult to defend,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “Because as a defensive coordinator, you don’t know where he’s going to line up.”
Need an example of Warren’s playmaking ability? Earlier this season, he received the snap out of the wildcat formation and flung a quick pass to running back Nicholas Singleton for a 17-yard touchdown.
If that’s not enough, the 6-foot-6, 261-pound senior has four rushing touchdowns on the season. He’s accumulated 197 rushing yards, which would rank him third on the Broncos, behind superstar running back Ashton Jeanty (2,497) and redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen (224).
“We’ve got to know where 44 is at all times,” Danielson said. “And even when you’ve got him covered, he’s the type of athlete that he’s still not covered, because of how tall he is, how athletic he is. He can go up and get those jump balls anytime he wants.”
Between his rushing and receiving, Warren is averaging 92.3 yards of offense per game.
The Broncos have a pretty good tight end of their own, of course. Junior tight end Matt Lauter has the second-most receiving yards for Boise State with 523, to go along with six touchdowns.
What helps set Lauter apart is his run blocking — a component that’s been vital to the Broncos’ season as they lean on Jeanty’s historic rushing season.
“Undeniably, one of the best blockers in the country when it comes to the tight end position,” Madsen said about Lauter earlier this year. “But also, on the flip side, he’s probably one of the best receiving tight ends in the country as well.”
Fiesta Bowl, Boise State vs. Penn State
When: 5:30 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday, Dec. 31
Where: State Farm Stadium (63,400, natural grass)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KBOI 670 AM and KBOI 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 12-1; Penn State 12-2
Series: First meeting
Vegas line: Penn State by 10.5 points
Weather: Indoors
