In the James Franklin era, Penn State has been one of the best teams at producing tight ends, according to the coach himself.
“There’s no program in the country that is doing what we are doing with tight ends right now and really over the last 10 years,” Franklin said in November.
With the last five starters at the position getting drafted into the NFL, there’s good reasoning to back up that claim, allowing for multiple players to be worthy of making a Franklin-era all-time Penn State team.
First team: Tyler Warren (2020-24)
There’s not much debate to be had when it comes to putting Tyler Warren on the first team. Not only was his 2024 campaign filled with memorable moments, he was also the program’s first winner of the John Mackey award, which is given annually to the nation’s top tight end.
Warren impacted the game in many ways, exemplified by his 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns on top of 218 rushing yards with four scores as well.
That versatility stemmed from him lining up in different places on the field. It resulted in eye-popping plays such as his 32-yard touchdown reception after lining up as a center against USC and his 48-yard run for a score after taking a direct snap versus Purdue.
The Indianapolis Colts’ 2025 first-round pick took 293 snaps in the slot, 93 out wide, 69 in the backfield, 40 as a quarterback and eight as an offensive lineman in addition to his role as a tight end — Warren’s versatility made him special.
“There’s some quarterbacks that haven’t taken a snap under center, let alone a tight end, so all these little things you can do with him, it is a headache,” Franklin said after the Purdue game.
Warren set single-game program records against the Trojans with his 17 catches, the most for any player, and 224 yards, the highest for a tight end. He also broke Penn State tight end career records with 153 receptions, 1,839 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.
Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki (88) jumps up for a touchdown during the Big Ten Football Championship Game between Penn State and Wisconsin at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016.
Max Petrosky
Second team: Mike Gesicki (2014-17)
Mike Gesicki came to Penn State after playing wide receiver in high school. He left as a fan-favorite tight end who earned multiple honors and set numerous records at the time.
The second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft used his 6-foot-6, 252-pound frame to become a jump-ball threat in the Nittany Lions’ offense. Gesicki’s body control with his build made him difficult to cover, like his touchdown grab in the 2016 Big Ten Championship game.
That score made up one of 15 touchdown catches Gesicki made in his career, which was a team record at the time for tight ends. While his successors broke that record, his nine single-season touchdown receptions in 2017 is still the mark to beat.
Overall, Gesicki tallied 129 catches for 1,481 yards, becoming a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. He can be traced back to as one of the players who started Penn State’s recent run of having high-end tight ends.
“You talk about Gesicki and Jesse James, we’ve had guys who have been complete tight ends here for a long time,” tight ends coach Ty Howle said in April.
Tight End, Pat Freirmuth (87) scores a touchdown during the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019. Penn State defeated Michigan State 28-7, with three touchdowns scored by Freirmuth.
James Leavy
Third team: Pat Freiermuth (2018-20)
Part of what made Warren and Gesicki great was being red-zone threats, but Pat Freiermuth might have a case as the best tight end touchdown scorer under Franklin.
Freiermuth set a Penn State freshman tight end record with eight touchdown grabs in 2018. He followed that up with seven touchdowns in 2019 but only had one the year after due to injury.
Still, 16 career touchdown receptions ranks him one ahead of Gesicki despite playing in one less season and just three short of Warren in 26 less games.
Other than scoring, the 2021 second-round pick was also a reliable tight end to carry on the tradition at the position in Happy Valley, totaling 92 catches for 1,185 yards in his career.
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