James Franklin praises Penn State TEs: 'No program in the country that is doing what we are doing'

Throughout the years, Penn State has had several great tight ends. That includes this season with Tyler Warren becoming a dominant player and being largely embraced by head coach James Franklin.

Much of the credit for that tight end success, according to Franklin, goes to assistant coach Ty Howle, a figure on the coaching staff who Franklin believes doesn’t get enough credit for helping Penn State to have unique success at the tight end position.

“No, I don’t think it’s talked about enough,” James Franklin said. “There’s no school in the country, there’s no program in the country that is doing what we’re 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 other level.”

Ty Howle is the tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator at Penn State, having been on the coaching staff since 2020. He was also a player at Penn State toward the end of the Joe Paterno era and under Bill O’Brien.

“We’re recruiting the best tight ends in the country. We’re developing the best tight ends in the country. It’s a competitive room,” Franklin said. “You’ve got to 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.”

The Nittany Lions do have a long history of putting talented tight ends in the NFL. That includes players like Theo Johnson, Brenton Strange, Pat Freiermuth, and Mike Gesicki in recent seasons.

The next great tight end has proven to be Tyler Warren. Through 10 games, he has 67 receptions for 808 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also carried the ball 16 times for 157 yards and another four touchdowns. Warren has even completed two passes, including one for a touchdown.

“Then you look at the Tyler Warren situation. Tyler Warren had a pretty high draft grade last year, came back, and I think it’s been a win-win. I think he’s going to be the first tight end drafted, is having a great year, is having a ton of fun with his teammates, and that’s what you want, right? You want it to be a great situation for everybody,” James Franklin said.

“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. I really appreciate you asking that question.”

In the Class of 2025, four-star tight end recruit Matt Henderson is committed to Penn State. He’s the 17th-ranked tight end in the recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Then, three-star tight end recruit Brady O’Hara is also committed to the Nittany Lions. One of them could potentially become the next great Penn State tight end.