Penn State puts three on Midseason Senior Bowl All-American teams

Penn State is off to a 5-0 start, has a No. 4 ranking, and as announced Thursday by the Senior Bowl, has three of the nation’s top performing upperclassmen. On offense, tight end Tyler Warren and running back Nick Singleton were chosen among 12 players, while safety Jaylen Reed was selected among 12 defensive players.

Given Penn State head coach James Franklin‘s repeated stance on all three players, anything less might have been met as objectionable. Here’s why:

“The best tight end in college football”

Beginning with Warren, Penn State has quickly found its most targeted pass-catcher through its first five games. Now up to a team-high 29 targets, Warren has been responsible for 23 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns. All are the most in each category for the Nittany Lions to this point in the season.

Complementing that role with a versatility that Penn State has repeatedly leaned on, rushing four times for 34 yards and a touchdown, as well as completing a 17-yard pass, Warren represents a significant centerpiece of the Nittany Lion offense.

“He’s dependable. The guy does his job and does it on a consistent basis, whether it is blocking, whether it’s running with the ball as a ball carrier, whether it’s as a receiver,” said Franklin. “When they can’t put Tyler Warren into a category, that’s what makes tight ends the most valuable. If he’s just a receiver, they can treat him like a receiver treat it as 10 personnel. If he’s just kind of a big run blocking slug, then that’s not a threat either. But when he can do either/or, it makes it very, very difficult to defend.

“And then, he’s dependable. You throw the ball in his direction, he’s going to catch it, he’s going to break tackles, he’s going to make positive yards. I think he’s the best tight end in college football, and I think his play warrants that.”

Singleton, meanwhile, is among the nation’s leaders in yards per carry. Despite missing last week’s game, his first in 30 career games, Singleton is again expected to be in the lineup against the Trojans this weekend.

“He was very close to going last week. So as long as we don’t have any setbacks this week, I would anticipate him going,” Franklin told reporters on Monday. “We’re very confident and I think Nick is very confident talking to him on Sunday that he will be ready to go.”

Jaylen Reed leads Penn State defense

Meanwhile, Reed has been similarly important to a Nittany Lion defense now ranked among the nation’s best in yards and points allowed. Doubly critical for his ability to transition in season from his designed role as the “Lion” in Tom Allen’s defense due to an injury setback to K.J. Winston, Penn State has maintained hopes for Reed to gradually get back to his most instinctive position on the field.

“As you guys saw what he did against West Virginia, playing that spot, it was a great position for him,” said Franklin last month. “But, we may not have the flexibility to be able to do it. I think early on, you’re probably going to see him high, but hopefully as Dae Dae Lane and others start to come on, hopefully as the year goes on, we can move it back into that spot, but we’ll see.”

Reed currently leads the Nittany Lions with 33 tackles. He also has two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 1.5 sacks.

Penn State travels to Southern Cal on Thursday ahead of a Saturday tilt with the Trojans (3:30 p.m., CBS).

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