Penn State Football: Who needs to step up in season’s second half?

Penn State Football TE Brenton Strange

As a pass-catcher, Brenton Strange was very good through the first five games of the season. That changed against Iowa, as the tight end had two crucial drops on third down passes that would have moved the sticks had they been caught.

It is strange for Strange (yes I did that on purpose) to drop passes, but he will need to make sure that drops do not become a recurring theme moving forward.

Regardless of who is at quarterback, they will need their tight ends to continue to get open as reliable second or third options. Many teams will try to do everything they can to stop Jahan Dotson, so the tight ends and other wide receivers will need to help carry the load.

Additionally, tight end blocking has been part of the issue in the running game as well, not just the offensive line. On many unsuccessful running plays so far for the Nittany Lions, the tight ends have missed on their kick out blocks.

As the tight end who plays the most snaps, Brenton Strange will need to execute those blocks to help out the running game as much as possible, as well as continue to be a reliable target in the passing game.