By: Pasquale Tartaro, GoPSUSports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Head coach James Franklin — who has coached Jesse James, Kyle Carter, Mike Gesicki and Pat Freiermuth — knows a good tight end when he sees one.
In light of a promising offseason, Franklin has high praise for this year's tight end room.
"I'd make the argument it's one of the best in the country," Franklin said. "It's the best tight end group I've ever been around in 25 years of college football."
"These guys all work hard and work well together, and they want to be the best tight end group in the country," tight ends coach Ty Howle said. "That's what they're working for."
Having worked with a surplus of NFL talent at the tight end position, this comment not only carries tremendous significance, but can be attributed to the versatility that Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren possess when they walk up to the line of scrimmage.
"In other years, we've had some guys that were really good at receiving or really good at blocking," Franklin said. "I think this group is well-rounded, all three of them."
"Versatility plays a big role," Strange said following Wednesday night's practice. "There's a lot of things that tight ends do that you won't see or doesn't show up on the stat sheet. We could make a big, impactful block and no one would ever know besides our teammates."
The depth at the position is a luxury for Coach Franklin in terms of in-game personnel, but it has also served as a catalyst for player development over the course of the offseason.
"As a tight end group, we're very talented," Strange said. "We're real tight. We push each other to get better every day."
"They're really tight-knit, they work together, they coach each other, they help each other," Howle said. "Those guys are constantly pushing each other and trying to improve their game, because they know that it's going to take all of us in the room."
Moreover, the emerging redshirt sophomore has consistently shown flashes throughout training camp and as a result, has earned complete trust of his coaching staff.
"Brenton leads the way in terms of how he works and how he practices and how he trains," Franklin said. "He's had a great camp and has led a really strong group."
Much of Strange's evolution as a breakout candidate heading into this season is directly correlated to his commitment to becoming a complete player at the tight end position.
The tight ends recognize that a balanced attack is most optimal in order for Penn State to generate a dynamic offense this season and are looking forward to playing its multi-purpose role within that process.
Strange, who was recently named to the John Mackey Award watch list, brought in 17 receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns after stepping in for Freiermuth in 2020.
After Freiermuth went down with an injury in 2020, Strange took over the starting job and saw plenty of action that has prepared him for this upcoming season. The two have still maintained a friendship that allows Strange to pick his brain from time to time.
"Me and Pat are real tight, I texted him after he had two touchdowns," Strange said. "We FaceTime sometimes, he gives me advice and it helps a lot."
