The Penn State Nittany Lions could rely on tight end Tyler Warren throughout the season to make his impact felt on the offensive side of the ball. A versatile player, head coach James Franklin enjoyed using him in various roles.

Before the College Football Playoffs In the quarterfinals, Franklin continued to praise Warren, stating that his mix of IQ and talent made him an incredibly unique weapon for the Nittany Lions.

“Tyler Warren is obviously a unique guy,” James Franklin said. “Of course everyone talks about his performance as a receiver and runner, but also as a blocker. He had some phenomenal blocks on Saturday. It helps that he’s 6 feet tall. He essentially weighs 260 pounds. He can block you like a traditional inline tight end or from the hip position. He’s smart enough to play fullback or H-back at the number one receiver, the number two receiver, the number three receiver in the backfield. However you want to describe it. He is capable of lining up and playing the quarterback position, as well as taking snaps under center and out of arms. He can throw the ball. He’s a former quarterback.”

Throughout the season, Penn State has used Tyler Warren in several unique ways. Not only is he a tight end, but he can also play as a wide receiver. He can also take snaps as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation and proves to be an effective thrower, making him difficult to defend.

“So it’s just a lot of different ways that we like to use him that also make him difficult to defend,” Franklin said. “Because as a defensive coordinator you don’t know where he’s going to play. If the threat is always aligned in the slot or always aligned in a three-by-one order to the single side – if you always know where the receiver or threat is aligned, it’s easier to defend the guy. But if he can really compete anywhere on the field, it will be a big challenge.”

This season, Tyler Warren has 92 receptions for 1,095 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 24 rushing attempts this season, along with an additional 197 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Warren even completed three passes for 35 yards and another touchdown.

“And his football IQ as well as his background playing multiple sports, high-level baseball player, high-level basketball player and high-level football player in high school. Plus, the fact that he played quarterback just gives us the flexibility to use him in a lot of different ways,” Franklin said. “We’ve done a lot of these things throughout his career, but with him being kind of the focal point of our tight end position this year – last year he shared that role with a tight end (Theo Johnson), who was drafted in the second round by the (New York) Giants. This year he’s doing that as kind of a leader in the tight end room, but also as one of the focal points of our offense.”

When Tyler Warren won the Mackey Award as the best tight end in the country, it was no surprise. Still, it also showed how much national attention he was gaining.

“His physical ability, his athletic ability and his intelligence allow us to use him in a variety of ways and combine all the things we’ve done throughout his career and do it all in one year – and sometimes all in one game .” “Franklin concluded.

For James Franklin and Tyler Warren, their next game together will be against them in the Fiesta Bowl Boise State. This will act as a playoff quarterfinal and could be Warren’s final game for Penn State.