‘Reminds me of Kelce’: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is the one to watch against Ohio State
-
Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
Long before he won Super Bowls and dated Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce delivered rim-rattling dunks and launched home runs as a three-sport star for Cleveland Heights High School. Kelce also played quarterback, setting him on a course to develop into a Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro and one of the top tight ends in NFL history.
Like Kelce, Penn State‘s Tyler Warren was once a three-sport star, earning all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball in Mechanicsville, Virginia. He was also a barreling, left-handed quarterback for Atlee High School. Now a senior for the third-ranked Nittany Lions, Warren is only beginning to realize his massive potential as a do-it-all, standout tight end.
“He’s a helluva tight end,” said Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, who played one season with Warren at Penn State before entering the NFL. “He reminds me of Kelce.”
Warren still has a long way to go before validating such a lofty comparison. But he’s on track to become Penn State’s first All-American tight end since Freiermuth in 2019, and maybe its first consensus All-American at the position since Kyle Brady earned the honor on the way to becoming a 1995 first-round draft pick.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Warren leads Power 4 tight ends with 47 receptions for 559 yards. He’s also one of only 13 FBS players to produce receiving, rushing and passing touchdowns this season.
On Saturday, the undefeated Nittany Lions face fourth-ranked Ohio State in a Big Ten showdown carrying enormous playoff and conference title implications. Penn State hasn’t defeated the Buckeyes in seven years. But in Warren, the Nittany Lions boast a unique weapon capable of providing the offensive punch to finally put them over the top.
First-year Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who calls Warren “one of a kind,” has deployed him in creative ways, including at running back and quarterback.
On Sept. 21 in a 56-0 win over Kent State, Warren lined up in the shotgun, faked a pass and rumbled 17 yards. Later, he hauled in a 16-yard scoring grab from quarterback Drew Allar down the seam. Then, before the end of the first half, Warren tossed a swing pass from the shotgun to running back Nicholas Singleton for a 17-yard touchdown.
To cap it off, Warren made a spectacular reception with his right hand down the sideline, absorbing a hit without going down.
“I really like being able to be in a bunch of different spots, making our offense more versatile and helping get other guys open,” said Warren, who had a soaring 3-yard rushing scoring plunge the following week on the opening drive of a 21-7 win over Illinois. “I’m just doing what I can to help our offense.”
As dominant as Warren was through the first month, he was “special,” as Kotelnicki put it, during an overtime win Oct. 12 over USC.
Warren tied the FBS tight end record and broke a Penn State mark with 17 receptions as the Nittany Lions rallied from a 20-6 halftime deficit to stun the Trojans 33-30. It was Penn State’s second-largest comeback since James Franklin took over as head coach a decade ago.
The game’s biggest play came two minutes into the second half, when Warren lined up at center out of a trick formation. He snapped the ball to backup quarterback Beau Pribula, who tossed a lateral to his left to Allar. The Trojans weren’t fooled and had Warren covered. But he still jumped over USC safety Zion Branch to snag Allar’s 32-yard touchdown throw.
0:42
Tyler Warren makes miraculous catch for Penn State TD on trick play
Tyler Warren makes an improbable catch from Drew Allar to reduce Penn State’s deficit vs. USC.
Warren played almost every position in high school, including punter and holder; he even handled the onside kicks. But Warren admitted that he hadn’t snapped the ball in a game since he was 8 years old in little league flag football. The dazzling score ignited Penn State’s rally, as Warren finished with 224 receiving yards, second most in school history — at any position.
“I’ve been talking about him being the best tight end in college football,” Franklin said afterward, “but the reality is, he’s now part of a conversation [as] one of the best players in all of college football.”
The performance reminded Atlee football coach Matt Gray of a game against Henrico when Warren ran for two touchdowns, passed for another and blocked a punt while playing almost every down defensively.
Gray took the Atlee job in February 2016 and began scanning the roster to figure out who his quarterback might be. One of Gray’s assistants told him that his future quarterback was actually still in middle school, “dunking in like every game” playing eighth-grade basketball.
Months later, Gray met Warren in the weight room, reeling off a series of chin-ups nonstop.
“I pulled him aside and told him, ‘I like the stuff you can do in this weight room. We’re going to try and develop the heck out of you. Looks like you’ve got a good work ethic. But the one thing I can’t evaluate is how tough you are,'” Gray recalled of their first conversation. “He looked at me, without any hesitation, and said, ‘I’ll just have to show you.’
“At that point, I was like, ‘I think we’ve got something here.'”
Warren played quarterback for Gray as a freshman and went on to become an all-state punter on top of everything else.
“There was nothing that he couldn’t do for us,” said Gray, who laughed watching Warren making plays everywhere in the USC game, noting to himself, “Yes, that’s what I know right there.”
Warren was also an all-state center fielder while batting in the middle of Atlee’s lineup. A few years earlier in 2015, Warren came a game away from leading Mechanicsville to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, smashing three home runs in the Southeast Regional qualifying tournament.
The hardwood, however, is what ultimately led Warren to Penn State. Warren initially committed to play football for Virginia Tech before his junior season. But he wasn’t getting much attention otherwise from college recruiters.
“Teams had questions about his athletic ability and whether he could transition from quarterback to tight end,” Atlee basketball coach Rally Axselle said. “Was he tough enough? Could he run fast enough? How athletic was he?”
So Warren put together a compilation of his basketball highlights from his junior season, featuring an array of electrifying dunks. Warren sent the video out, and the football offers came pouring in, including from the Nittany Lions.
“The dunks were the main thing, but it showcased his overall athleticism,” said Axselle, who joked that Warren could do just about anything on the basketball court except dribble with his right hand. (Warren added that he could never consistently throw strikes as a pitcher, either.) “It’s crazy how much that changed his recruiting trajectory.”
Warren’s trajectory now has him becoming a coveted prospect in the upcoming NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. currently ranks Warren as the No. 22 overall eligible prospect.
“Coming [to Penn State] learning a new position … it was just about fine-tuning his skills as a tight end,” said Freiermuth, who was struck by how much Warren had improved working out over the offseason and adapting to Kotelnicki’s scheme. “I know he had an opportunity to leave after last year, but it was a really smart decision for him to come back and show what he can do when he’s the focal point of the offense. … He’s got a really bright future ahead in the NFL.”
One NFL personnel executive said Freiermuth’s comparison of Warren to Kelce is a step too far, given how easily Kelce gets open and how dynamic he is with the ball. But the executive also noted that Warren is a better blocker than Kelce was coming out of Cincinnati 11 years ago. The executive instead sees similarities to second-year Green Bay Packers playmaker Tucker Kraft, who leads NFL tight ends this season with 10.2 yards per reception after the catch and ranks second averaging 14.3 yards per reception.
“A very reliable, very versatile player,” the executive said of Warren. “Athletic, tough, competes. … He’s going to become an NFL starter pretty easily.”
That will have to wait. Warren is Penn State’s asset for now. And this weekend, Ohio State’s problem.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike