Penn State's staff has all hands on deck in first look at Peyton Falzone at TE

Peyton Falzone has continued his fall camp journey transitioning from quarterback to tight end.

On Monday, Tyler Donohue shared a first look of the true freshman practicing drills with a blocking sled as he learns and refines his technique in the new role.

This first look isn't indicative whatsoever of how well Falzone will play at tight end. He's still in the learning process and the coaches will continue working with him to get him up to speed in terms of explosiveness, blocking, and form. It's clear from this first look that the staff has an "all hands on deck" approach with Falzone as well.

Penn State's Peyton Falzone is still in the learning stages at tight end

Head coach Matt Campbell told reporters that Falzone has been a true team player, accepting this position switch (for the time being at least) and doing what's best for the team. He added that it might not be a permanent move for the freshman, either, as the Nittany Lions "left the quarterback piece open."

However, when Campbell had his team participate in drills that weren't position-specific at the start of camp, he and the staff saw the potential in Falzone to contribute to the team in other ways.

In addition to his early camp performances, Falzone has also added on about 20 pounds since getting to Penn State, according to Donohue. He was originally listed at 216 pounds when he arrived, so he's nearing the 240-pound range. For the Nittany Lions who have been in the NCAA, that tight end room ranges from 241 pounds to 251 pounds, meaning Falzone's trending in the right direction in terms of size.

"Given the type of athlete he is, how big he is ... we're gonna kind of let his body just go naturally where it's gonna go and see," quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said.

The first look might not show star quality at tight end, but perfection isn't the goal for this trial-and-error period. Effort and growth is what we should expect from these clips as Falzone goes through this process. It's a work in progress, especially over a season where he's unlikely to play meaningful snaps.

With that being said, Falzone's NCAA trajectory is very up in the air at the moment. He could potentially transfer after the 2026 season in hopes of pursuing quarterback opportunities elsewhere, or he could stick it out with Penn State at tight end.

While it doesn't seem likely given what the position room looks like and who Campbell is bringing in recruiting-wise, Falzone could also still seek a shot at quarterback with the blue and white down the line. Since the staff hasn't completely nixed quarterback from Falzone's plan, it's still an option on the table until further notice.

From now until the end of camp, though, it'll be interesting to see the freshman's progression through this transition and judge whether tight end is the right fit for Falzone.

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