Lion legend: Superstar Warren should be invited as Heisman hopeful | News, sports, jobs

A new promotional video has been released – appropriately titled “Best Tight End in College Football” – promotes the Nittany Lions’ campaign for the award, given to college football’s best player, and features future NFL Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski saying: “Everyone knows that the best athlete on the football field is the tight end. Just look at my boy Tyler Warren.”

Before Travis Kelce started dating the world’s most famous pop star, Gronk was the face of the tight end position, and to many people, the NFL legend still is. Almost every talented young tight end has been called Baby Gronk, and Warren could be the next in that line.

In the final 40 seconds of the clip, numerous television networks praise the all-rounder of the Penn State offense.

A true modern tight end has never won the Heisman and hasn’t been a Heisman finalist since Notre Dame’s Ken MacAfee finished third in 1977, but that hasn’t stopped Penn State from trying.

Photo courtesy of PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Penn State athletics are touting Nittany Lion superstar Tyler Warren as the “best tight end in college football.”

Despite a storied football history, the Nittany Lions have produced only one Heisman winner – running back John Cappelletti in 1973.

Warren leads Penn State with 75 catches for 910 yards and five touchdowns and is the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns by a tight end, a record he broke this season.

That’s not the only record Warren has broken. Warren already has the most receiving yards for a Penn State tight end in a season, surpassing Mike Gesicki, and tight end isn’t the only position Warren has played.

Warren, a former high school quarterback, has played wide receiver, running back, quarterback and even center. He rushed for 157 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and even threw for a touchdown, completing two of his four pass attempts for 26 yards and a touchdown.

But what if you line up as QB and then the snap goes straight to Kaytron Allen?8 How about you take the snap and pass it backwards to Drew Allar, who then passes it back to Warren for a massive gain? How about grabbing the ball yourself, then running downfield and catching the ball for a touchdown? And it goes on and on.

AP photo
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (44) tries to escape the grasp of Purdue’s Kyndrich Breedlove during the first half of a football game on November 16 in West Lafayette, Indiana.

At least one local football legend believes Warren should receive an invite to the Big Apple as one of the Heisman hopefuls.

Gary Klingensmith, who played at Penn State from 1961 to 1964 before starting a legendary coaching career at Juniata High School, has seen Warren thrive this season for the Nittany Lions.

“He’s as versatile a player as I’ve ever seen at Penn State.” Klingensmith explained. “He’s definitely Heisman material; He’s the best out there. He can do anything, so I think he should be invited.”

The former coach also marveled at Warren’s stamina for his size – 6 feet 2 inches and 250 pounds.

“He can run a long pass, then come back and block just as hard.” Klingensmith added. “Next thing you know, he’s running the ball.”

AP photo
Penn State offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) lifts Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (44) after Warren makes a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 Scored a touchdown against Purdue.

Tyler has been nothing short of exceptional this year and should be mentioned in the same breath as Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. A versatile all-rounder who continues to perform despite every defense knowing exactly who to protect.

He is an extremely unique player in a season of extremely unique talent being considered for the Heisman Trophy. The current favorite for the award is Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who played as both a star wide receiver and cornerback, and a likely contender is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Without an elite quarterback candidate, Penn State is going all-out to bring Warren to New York City, and there will be plenty of moves to do so in tonight’s season finale against Maryland at Beaver Stadium.

Warren was scheduled to be invited to the Heisman ceremony in New York. Whether he wins or not is because both Hunter and Jeanty are having their own monster seasons, not because Tyler doesn’t deserve it.