Penn State Football: Four 2023 signees who could have an instant impact next season

4. TE Andrew Rappleyea 

Penn State football has become known for its tight ends lately. It started with Jesse James and then Mike Gesicki and then Pat Freiermuth and now Brenton Strange could be next.

This group has earned the nickname ‘The Aces’ because of their great play.

While Strange has not made up his mind about whether or not he will go pro yet, it seems unlikely that he would return for a fifth year after how successful his season was in 2022.

If Strange does move on, the bulk of the tight end reps would go to Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren. Johnson caught 19 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. Warren had nine catches for 108 yards and three scores.

Those two should be able to fill in for Strange without much of a hiccup.

But what will the rotation look like behind them?

Penn State likes to use its tight ends, three or four will be used a year.

The likely candidate to fill that third spot is Khalil Dinkins, who caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in mop up duty this season.

One 2023 signee could push for playing time though, Andrew Rappleyea.

The 4-star was rated as the No. 7 tight end in the country for the 2023 cycle. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. The frame is there, but he may need to add more weight.

With that said, Rappleyea has the skillset to push Dinkins and Jerry Cross for playing time behind Johnson and Warren. He has the combination of size and speed that not many tight ends possess.

While his ability to be a blocker will be a factor into whether or not Rappleyea plays a lot or not, he has the offensive skillset to be a threat right away.