Why Theo Johnson could be the next great tight end to play at Penn State

Tight end has become an increasingly important position in Penn State’s offense in recent years and that should be the case in 2023. We’ve taken a look at the other skill positions on the offense — including Drew Allar’s first year starting, the team’s dynamic running back duo and the battle to be the No. 1 wide receiver — and now we turn to tight end.

Let’s take a look at how the Nittany Lions stack up at the position and why the next great at the position could be starting there this fall.

Projected starter: Junior Theo Johnson

There might not be a player on the offense more primed for a breakout campaign than Johnson.

That begins with the physical tools. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 264 pounds and is every bit of it. He has the size, strength and speed combo to be not just one of the best tight ends in college football, but one of the best at the next level as well. He’s a matchup nightmare from a traits standpoint alone and should be able to use that to his advantage both as a blocker and a receiver.

Let’s start with the former since it’s where he will need to improve the most. Johnson was a non-factor when he got to Penn State as a blocker, and for good reason. He was used as a receiver in high school, making it a new element to develop — and making him a ball of clay for the coaching staff to mold in that regard. He took a massive leap this season and became average in pass protection and above average in the running game. He showed a willingness to block — which can be half the battle at tight end — and started to use his size to at the very least get in the way consistently. Johnson does not have to be elite as a blocker, but being able to do it has gone a long way in helping him be on the field in all situations.

As a receiver, he has a chance to be elite this season. His size helps with that thanks to his enormous wingspan, giving him a massive catch radius and making him a large target for any quarterback. He has the leaping ability to win contested catch situations, which makes him — in a way — always open. Johnson’s excellent body control allows him to find and haul in passes even when they’re not ideally located. His athleticism allows him to break away when he’s running in a straight line, and even if he’s never a great route runner, his size and hands should allow him to be a great pass catcher.

The junior tight end will enter this season poised to break out — with a chance to be the answer to the team’s questions about who the No. 1 receiver is.

Key backups: Junior Tyler Warren and redshirt sophomore Khalil Dinkins

It was too difficult to pick just one option here and, frankly, Penn State effectively used three tight ends last season.

We’ll start with Warren, who should be the backup to open the season. The former high school quarterback was the team’s primary tight end behind Brenton Strange last year and should once again see the field in two tight end formations. He’s a good athlete who is physical as a blocker and generally reliable as a receiver. He’s not the same type of receiver as Johnson, but is a bulldozer in the open field and is the most physical of the tight ends on the roster.

Warren has legitimate value as a starting level tight end if Johnson misses any time this year, and should help ensure that the offense doesn’t miss a beat. He’s good enough to make the offense lean more toward 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends with two wide receivers) rather than 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end with three wide receivers). That could prove to be especially true if the team feels Warren is better than whoever the third wide receiver ends up being.

Dinkins should step into a much larger role with Strange gone and he’ll be the beneficiary of any 13 personnel (one running back and three tight ends with one wide receiver) that the Nittany Lions decide to run. He’s a good athlete who hasn’t had the opportunity to show what he can do on gamedays because the program has been so good at the position. Dinkins is slightly smaller than the other two tight ends at 6-foot-4, 246 pounds but is plenty big enough to make plays in the running game and passing game.

He is also, however, by far the most unproven of the trio at the top, making him the most susceptible to be overtaken by one of the freshman tight ends on the roster. That being said, his multiple years in the program should give him enough of an advantage that he’s likely going to be the third tight end on the field.

Dinkins and Warren should both prove to be positive assets on the ground and in the air for the Nittany Lions this fall.

Freshman to watch: True freshman Andrew Rappleyea

Rappleyea is one of three freshmen at tight end for the Nittany Lions alongside fellow true freshman Joey Schlaffer and redshirt freshman Jerry Cross. Cross has the experience advantage and could be better in the long run, but Rappleyea could be ready to take the field early on in the season. He’s an advanced blocker for someone who hasn’t played a down of college football, something that can’t be said for most freshmen tight ends, and was a reliable pass catcher at the high school level — which should translate to this level.

It remains to be seen if he’ll get the opportunity to play this year because Johnson, Warren and Dinkins are all more experienced and have the ability to play extensively. Injury could always change that, but right now it would take Rappleyea playing well above and beyond what could be expected of a freshman for him to get consistent playing time this year.

This story was originally published June 29, 2023 at 12:41 PM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.