Dawkins, Warren Collect National Awards Thursday Night

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State football program saw a pair of student-athletes honored as national award winners in the 34th Annual The Home Depot College Football Awards, with redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins garnering the Wuerffel Trophy and senior tight end Tyler Warren landing the Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end.

 

Junior defensive end Abdul Carter (first team) and Warren (second team) were named to the Walter Camp All-America team. Carter is Penn State’s 103^rd first-team All-American.

 

The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, named after Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida, is considered college football’s premier award for community service. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy embodies Wuerffel’s commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the trophy’s founding. Dawkins becomes the first Nittany Lion in program history to earn the Wuerffel Trophy and represents PSU’s second finalist for the award all-time, joining Stefen Wisniewski in 2010.

 

The John Mackey Award is presented annually to the top tight end in college football, with the accolade awarded by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Warren’s selection as the nation’s top tight end comes following a record-shattering season which saw him become the Big Ten Conference’s record holder for season receiving yards by a tight end. Warren became the first tight end in Penn State history to earn the prestigious award while becoming just the second Nittany Lion to be named a finalist, joining Mike Gesicki’s 2017 campaign.

 

Nick Dawkins · R-Sr. · OL · 6-4 · 298 · Allentown, Pa. · Parkland

• Founded the Dawkins Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering communities through youth engagement. The foundation has awarded three scholarships to high school seniors and collaborates with the Lehigh Valley YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide book bags for children and teens in need.
• Dawkins has interned with the YMCA of Centre County, where he developed a multi-sports camp and an Olympic Games camp as part of the YMCA’s summer youth programming. Additionally, he volunteers at Parkland sports camps.
• He is the president of Penn State’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which raises funds for rare disease research, notably through its “Lift for Life” workout competition each June.
• Dawkins also serves on the board of Devon Still’s “Still Strong Foundation”, which supports childhood cancer initiatives.
• Last year, Dawkins chaired the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee for Penn State’s student-athlete advisory committee.
• Was Penn State’s Public Service Award winner in 2023 and won the team’s Letterman’s Club Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding graduate.
• Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2024.
• Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks and tourism management.
• Working on a graduate certificate in organization development and change essentials.
• Has earned four Academic All-Big Ten honors.
• Has appeared in 39 games, including 13 starts as a Nittany Lion.
• Through 13 games, Penn State’s offense ranks fourth in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage (76.2; 2nd in B1G), sixth in the nation in completion percentage (69.5; 4th) and tackles for loss allowed per game (3.62; 2nd), 10th in team passing efficiency (163.53; 4th) and 15th in third down conversion percentage (47.8; 15th).
• One of the most explosive offenses in the country, PSU ranks fourth in percentage of 15+ yard pass plays (24.45), seventh in 10+ yard play percentage (25.12) and third in big play percentage (17.41).
• Penn State has 65 plays of 20+ yards (47 passes, 18 rushes).
• The Nittany Lions did not allow a sack against West Virginia, USC, Washington, Purdue or Maryland.

 

Tyler Warren · Sr. · TE · 6-6 · 256 · Mechanicsville, Va. · Atlee

• Was named a Paul Hornung Award Finalist.
• Was a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award.
• Named the 2024 Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
• Secured First-Team All-Big Ten accolades in a vote by both the conference’s coaches and media members. Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and honorable mention from the media in 2023.
• Tabbed Midseason All-American by the Associated Press (1^st team), CBS Sports (1^st), Pro Football Focus (1^st), The Athletic (1^st) and the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
• Selected as a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
• Graduated in Fall 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising/public relations and is pursuing a second degree in telecommunications.
• He is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
• He owns 137 receptions for 1,668 yards and 17 touchdowns, while adding six rushing scores and a passing touchdown at Penn State.
• Warren has 23 career receptions of 20+ yards and five career 100-yard receiving games.
• Warren’s 17 career touchdown receptions are tied for eighth all-time at Penn State and stands as the most receiving touchdowns among PSU tight ends, surpassing Pat Freiermuth’s 16 from 2018-20.
• Warren’s 137 career receptions are 11^th all-time at PSU and ninth among Big Ten tight ends, while his 1,668 career receiving yards are 19^th at PSU and seventh among Big Ten tight ends.
• He has the most total touchdowns (23; 17 receiving, 6 rushing) all-time among Penn State tight ends.
• Against Minnesota, Warren broke the PSU tight end career receiving yards record, bettering Mike Gesicki’s 1,481 yards in 2014-17. Warren has 1,668 career receiving yards.
• Against Maryland, Warren hauled in his 17th receiving touchdown to pass Freiermuth to become PSU’s standalone leader in the category at the tight end position.
• With his fifth career 100-yard receiving game, against Minnesota, Warren has the most by a Penn State tight end, breaking a tie with Ted Kwalick (4; 1966-68).
• Warren is one of three active FBS tight ends (only Big Ten tight end) with 135+ receptions, 1,600+ receiving yards and 17+ receiving touchdowns in his career.
• He currently has a 29-game reception streak and has at least one 14-yard catch in each of his last 19 games.
• In 2024, he has 88 receptions for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns, while adding four rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown. He has 16 catches of 20+ yards and three 20+ yard rushes, while gaining 16 first downs on 23 rush attempts.
• On a 20-yard catch in the first quarter against Maryland, Warren broke a tie with Wisconsin's Travis Beckum (75: 2007) for the Big Ten tight end season receptions record. Warren has 88 receptions this season.
• On a 7-yard catch vs. Oregon, Warren broke Beckum’s record for season receiving yards by a Big Ten tight end (982).
• Against Washington, Warren broke Penn State tight end season records for receptions and receiving yards, topping Gesicki’s 57 receptions for 679 yards in 2017.
• His 88 receptions are third in a season among all PSU players and his 1,062 receiving yards are fifth. Warren is just the fifth student-athlete (seven occasions) in Penn State history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
• Among FBS tight ends in 2024, Warren is tied for first in total touchdowns (10; 1st in Power Four) and ranks second in receiving yards (1,062; 1st), receiving yards per game (81.7; 1st) and yards per reception (12.1; 1st, min. 70 catches), third in receptions (88; 1st) and 100-yard receiving games (4; 2nd) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (6; T-1st).
• He ranks second among FBS tight ends with 30 receptions of 15+ yards this season and ranks first in percentage of catches for first downs (66%) among FBS tight ends with 55+ catches.
• Warren ranks first among FBS tight ends with 14 red zone receptions, while ranking second in 10+ yard receptions (47; 1st in P4) and third in 25+ yard receptions (9; t-1st).
• Caught a career-high 17 passes for a career-best 224 yards and one touchdown against USC.
• Set a Penn State and Big Ten tight end record with 224 receiving yards at USC, while joining Northwestern’s Jon Harvey (208 vs. Michigan, 1982) as the only Big Ten tight ends to go over 200 receiving yards in a game.
• His 17 receptions against the Trojans are a Penn State record and tie the FBS tight end record, set by New Mexico’s Emilio Vallez in 1967 and matched by Harvey in 1982.
• Warren’s 224 receiving yards at USC are the second-most by a Penn State player, trailing only Jahan Dotson’s 242 yards at Maryland in 2021.

 

Abdul Carter · Jr. · DE · 6-3 · 252 · Philadelphia, Pa. · La Salle College High School

• Tabbed Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
• Was also named AP Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-Big Ten first team selection for the second-straight year.
• Named finalist for Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lombardi Award.
• Selected semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
• Member of watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award.
• Tabbed a Preseason All-American by the Action Network (1^st team), Associated Press (2^nd team), CBS (2^nd team), ESPN (2^nd team), The Athletic (2^nd team) and the Walter Camp Award.
• Tabbed second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
• Made switch from linebacker to defensive end following 2023 season.
• Owns 164 tackles (98 solo), 35.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception and 12 pass breakups in his third season in Happy Valley.
• His 35.5 tackles for loss are 13^th all-time at PSU, while his 21.0 sacks are tied-seventh all-time at Penn State
• Has eight career games with 2+ tackles for loss, including five this season, and six games with 2+ sacks.
• In 2024, has 60 tackles (37 solo), 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and two forced fumbles.
• Carter’s 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks both rank 13^th in a season at PSU, while he is the first Nittany Lion with 10+ sacks in a season since Carl Nassib’s 15.5 in 2015.
• He sits third in the FBS (1^st in Power Four) with 19.5 tackles for loss and is 12th nationally (2nd in B1G) with 10 sacks, while his 37 solo tackles are tied first among Power Four defensive linemen.
• Against Kent State, tallied four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
• Notched a career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks, including a strip-sack, against Illinois.
• Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Senior Bowl Co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Player of the Week honors following the Illinois game.
• Had three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against UCLA.
• At USC, recorded a solo sack among 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Collected two sacks and four tackles vs. Ohio State.
• He notched six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble against Washington. He had two tackles for loss, including a strip-sack, in the first quarter.
• He garnered Bednarik Award Player of the Week and Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Recorded two tackles for loss at Purdue, both in the second quarter.
• Carter registered two sacks against Maryland.

 

The 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy finalists and recipient were selected by an illustrious national voting committee, including a fan vote component. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will take place on February 1, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

 

The John Mackey Award is named after NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, who played 10 years in the NFL and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. Mackey was a three-time All-NFL honoree and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team and the league’s 50th Anniversary team. He played in two NFL Championship Games and two Super Bowls, leading the Baltimore Colts to a win in Super Bowl V.

 

Fourth-ranked and sixth-seeded Penn State opens the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff on Saturday, December 21, with a noon kickoff scheduled against 10th-ranked and 11th-seeded SMU in Beaver Stadium. The game will air to a national television audience on TNT and MAX.

 

For club and ticket information for the 2024 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.