Andrew Rappleyea injury update: Latest on Penn State TE

After he was inactive in Penn State’s win over Bowling Green on Saturday, the status for tight end Andrew Rappleyea going forward is unclear, head coach James Franklin said after the game.

Franklin said he still hasn’t learned the exact nature of what is ailing Rappleyea, adding it happened very recently. He also added that he hoped to confer with Rappleyea and his family, as well, before sharing more publicly.

CLICK HERE to go to PrizePicks and use code ON3 to receive a guaranteed $50 once you play $5 in lineups!

“I can’t really speak, I can’t really speak at this stage on Rap, just because I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Franklin said. “This was very, very recent this happened. So I just don’t have the information to give to you and as you guys know, I won’t talk about injuries with you guys until I’ve talked to the players and their families and make sure everybody’s OK with the information. But I also, again, I don’t know. It was very recent.”

Franklin also expressed confidence in the potential fill-ins at tight end, such as freshman Luke Reynolds.

Watch College Football Games Live -Try for Free Fubo! Click HERE NOW

Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW! For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

“Luke’s a guy that we have a ton of confidence in not only physically but just how he’s approached things since he stepped on campus as a true freshman. Been very impressed with him,” Franklin said.

Franklin addressed another key absence

Franklin addressed the absence of Kevin Winston Jr., their safety who was named the Bednarik Award’s National Defensive Player of the Week in their season-opening game. Against West Virginia, he tallied a career-high 12 tackles and a forced fumble.

Winston played in the first quarter against Bowling Green on Saturday, and briefly in the second quarter, before other players got snaps, including Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley.

“Again, I can’t get into KJ Winston and why he wasn’t in there. As you guys know, I don’t really talk about those things. But I mean, obviously, it increased the amount of reps for Jay Reed and increased the amount of reps for Zakee. And also kind of changed our ability to be able to get into the package where Jay Reed is playing the Lion position. So, we needed to be in base a little bit more,” Franklin said.

Reed and Wheatley both made the most of their opportunities, with Reed finishing with 10 total tackles and Wheatley finishing with six total tackles.

“It’s hard to get in Prowler if they don’t substitute on third down which is what a lot of people are doing. They won’t substitute on third downs, so that we can’t get our Prowler on the field. Which is our rush package. Which is a smart plan. Right? So, those are some things we’re gonna have to work on specifically for the bye week,” Franklin said.