Penn State tight end Tyler Warren cements status as Nittany Lion great

With 20 seconds left in the first half of Penn State’s Week 6 Big Ten matchup with UCLA at Beaver Stadium, Drew Allar found senior tight end Tyler Warren for a five-yard touchdown catch. It was the 17th of Warren’s illustrious career in Happy Valley and cemented his place as an all-time great in program history. 

With the touchdown, Warren passed former Nittany Lion tight end and current Pittsburgh Steeler Pat Freiermuth for the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in program history. The all-time program record for most receiving touchdowns is held by wide receiver Bobby Engram who had 31. Warren is now tied with Allen Robinson for eighth in Penn State history among all players. With one more, he will tie Derek Moye, Chris Godwin, and DaeSean Hamilton for fifth all-time. 

Especially in recent years, Penn State has produced plenty of talented tight ends. Last season, Warren split time with Theo Johnson who became a fourth-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Since James Franklin took over as the program’s head coach 2014, five Nittany Lions tight ends have been selected in the NFL Draft: 

• Jesse James: 2015, Round 5
• Mike Gesicki: 2018, Round 2
• Pat Freiermuth: 2021, Round 2
• Brenton Strange: 2023, Round 2
• Theo Johnson: 2024, Round 4

Warren will almost certainly be the next Penn State tight end selected by an NFL team, but before he begins his professional career, Warren has a lot more work to do in Happy Valley, and Penn State fans hope, a few more touchdowns to catch.