Penn State Football: Spring game displays possibilities at tight end

Another group that Penn State football is saturated with experience and depth is at tight end. The spring game doubled down on that statement.

It feels like every article I’m raving about the insane amount of depth Penn State football returns at certain spots this season, but it’s true in some areas. Just like I said about what Noah Cain adding another solid running back to a deep backfield, the tight end position boasts elite depth too with veterans and young stars.

This group obviously starts with star true sophomore Pat Freiermuth. His credentials and numbers are well-documented, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mentions honors off 26 catches for 368 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018.

He’s the No. 1 guy and second-leading receiver on the team, but he’s just the tip of the iceberg. Unsung fifth-year seniors in Jonathan Holland and Nick Bowers and up-and-comers in sophomore Zack Kuntz and first-year player Brenton Strange make it five guys that can play at tight end.

The two veterans on that list are the most proven of the group. They’ve combined for 17 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns in their careers. Bowers has made the most noise in recent memory. In the Blue-White game, he made two huge catches for 54 yards from assumed starting QB Sean Clifford.

Holland has had moments of brilliance, catching seven passes in three of the first four games in 2018. He also had an eight-catch, 62-yard, spring-game performance in 2017. Holland and Bowers know the system and understand their roles. Although their past four years didn’t get a lot of mainstream attention, they’re talented and can bust out for huge years, especially with two-and three-tight end sets.

While Freiermuth shined in his true freshman season, his classmate, Kuntz, saw minimal playing time but did make a catch for eight yards while redshirting in 2018. He’s sure to see time this season as the tallest target of the bunch at 6-foot-7, 236 pounds. Kurtz is a monster athlete that could help in the red zone.

Strange is a first-year player that made his name in last weekend’s spring game, leading the Blue Team with three catches for 19 yards. He’s a young player, but it’s clear the early enrollee is looking to make an impact this year just as classmate Cain is at RB.

I know that it’s unlikely Freiermuth and four other tight ends star this year, but it’s possible that a couple of those guys step up for big years in 2019.