Penn State had an emphatic win in its season opener, with almost all positive takeaways. Yet, in a game where few surprises were present, there are plenty of new narratives beginning to form as the Nittany Lions move forward into the season.
To enter this year, there were many questions about who'd lead a talented TE room for head coach James Franklin's unit, following Tyler Warren's departure to the NFL. Eventually, Khalil Dinkins emerged as the primary choice, being the lone upperclassman at the position to take the reins at a school dubbed as the modern "Tight End University."
In the first matchup of the season, both backups, Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea, recorded more catches than the supposed No. 1. Dinkins finished with just a lone catch for 24 yards.
However, Franklin reaffirmed his belief in his starter, but also extended praise for the entire unit as eyes on the position group begin growing.
"I think you can make the argument [Dinkins'] the most complete tight end in the country," Franklin said. ". . . We got three really good tight ends that that we think we can win with and can be a problem for people."
This talent at TE, particularly Rappleyea's, doesn't surprise Franklin, who remains unwavering in his conviction that his new star has more to offer and was already expected to play a much bigger role.
"Everybody talks about [Reynolds] and deservedly so, but you probably wouldn't have saw [him] last year if [Rappleyea] didn't get hurt because we probably would have red-shirted [Reynolds]," Franklin said. ". . . [Rappleyea], you saw obviously the obvious, you know, plays that he made in the passing game, but he's a physical guy as well. So, we're excited about that room."
Blue and white fans expected a lot from the other TE in the group that Franklin mentioned. Reynolds, a five-star and top player in Connecticut, had flashes of brilliance last year with 111 yards on nine receptions during his freshman campaign. Reynolds was also the highest-rated recruit of Penn State's 2024 class via 247Sports and a top-100 player nationally.
On Saturday, Dinkins recorded 36 snaps, Reynolds played 30 snaps, and Rappleyea hit the field 20 times.
While Dinkins will more than likely be the consistent starter and main TE on the field as the season progresses, Reynolds and Rappleyea won't be sidelined. The appearances of each of them are relatively even as of now, but that's only one game in. Franklin will want to see what the backup tight ends can accomplish, especially in the next two weeks before Big Ten play starts.
As a battle looms for playing time behind Dinkins, it has massive implications for next season as well. One of the pair is likely to succeed in the starting role and the only way for Franklin to figure that out is by giving them the game reps in 2025. So get familiar with their faces, because Reynolds and Rappleyea aren't done yet.