The tight end position continues to evolve into one of the most important in offensive football as the game sees tight ends going from lumbering blockers with good hands into dynamic playmakers capable of changing games. Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren only added to a growing legacy of modern tight ends at Penn State with a reliable season and a regular safety valve for new quarterback Drew Allar.
The Grade: A
The Good: Of the 30 receiving touchdowns Penn State recorded this season tight ends accounted for 16 of them. While the trio of Theo Johnson, Tyler Warren and Khalil Dinkins may not have been the most dynamic grouping that Penn State has had at the position over the years in terms of explosive athleticism, but all three found ways to impact the Nittany Lions’ season.
Johnson and Warren in particular were super reliable targets for Drew Allar – which was exactly what he needed them to be – and while Dinkins only made cameo appearances, each of his five receptions felt impactful (two touchdowns helps that). Penn State will be a much better team in 2024 because of Warren’s decision to return and Johnson should give Penn State another tight end taken in the draft under James Franklin. Warren and Johnson finished off the year tied with 34 receptions, totaling nearly 800 yards receiving between the two of them. Both had their moments, both made their impacts. You could argue that a 2.6 catch per game average was too low for this bunch, but they spent a fair amount of time blocking. When it’s all said and done this room was solid on a weekly basis and a reliability in the red zone elevates this grade to the best any Penn State offensive unit is going to get. All seven of his touchdowns came in the red area.
The Not So Good: There isn’t much here. You could argue this group could have been a bigger part of Penn State’s offense than it was, but that’s not really the fault of the players. Theo Johnson is going to go down as having been very solid but of the Brenton Strange, Pat Freiermuth, Mike Gesicki linage he was the least impressive in terms of general athleticism or big play impact.
For his part Tyler Warren is hyper athletic but not overly explosive, then again he plays tight end and not running back. You’re splitting hairs when it comes to this group and that’s a credit to them. Dinkins is still TBD but a guy who can look good with minimal reps gets some credit for showing up when his number is called. Penn State has a very different season if more players took advantage of their chances like Dinkins did. You can parse blocking quality in this part, but that’s only a third of the job for tight ends anymore these days.
Overall: Johnson and Warren will go down as one of the more consistent one-two punches Penn State has had at tight end and both shared the load deftly. Bigger plays from Warren in 2024 could raise his profile even more but if he’s going to do nothing but finish in the red zone Penn State won’t complain about that either. Dinkins looks the part, just a matter of him making the most of what’s next in a room that will be full of young talent next season.
See all of the Positional Grades HERE.
