Penn State TE Tyler Warren draws comparisons to Travis Kelce

Long before he was winning Super Bowls and dating Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce was delivering jaw-dropping dunks and launching home runs as a three-sport star for Cleveland Heights High School. Kelce also played quarterback, putting him on the path to becoming an All-Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the best 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 at 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 just beginning to realize his enormous potential as an all-rounder and standout tight end.

“He’s a heck of a tight end,” said Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, who played one season with Warren at Penn State before heading to the NFL. “He reminds me of Kelce.”

Warren still has a long way to go before he can validate such a lofty comparison. But he is on pace to become Penn State's first All-American tight end since Freiermuth in 2019, and possibly the first consensus All-American at the position since Kyle Brady earned the honor en route to the First round draft pick in 1995.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Warren leads Power 4 tight ends with 47 receptions for 559 yards. He is also one of only 13 FBS players to score receiving, rushing and passing touchdowns this season.

On Saturday, the undefeated Nittany Lions face fourth-seeded Ohio State in a Big Ten showdown that has huge playoff and conference title implications. Penn State hasn't beaten the Buckeyes in seven years. But in Warren, the Nittany Lions have a unique weapon that can give them the offensive punch they need to finally put them in their place.

Penn State first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who called Warren “unique,” ​​has used him in creative ways, including at running back and quarterback.

On Sept. 21, in a 56-0 win over Kent State, Warren lined up with the shotgun, faked a pass and rumbled 17 yards. He later hauled in a 16-yard grab from quarterback Drew Allar. Then, before the end of the first half, Warren threw a swing pass from the shotgun to running back Nicholas Singleton for a 17-yard touchdown.

To top it off, Warren made a spectacular right-handed reception down the sideline, absorbing a hit without going to the ground.

“I really like being able to play in a lot of different spots, which adds versatility to our offense and helps put other players ahead,” said Warren, who hit a 3-yard rushing game on the first drive the following week. Scoring made a rapid leap forward in a 21-7 victory over Illinois. “I’m just doing what I can to help our offense.”

As dominant as Warren was in the first month, he was “special,” as Kotelnicki put it, in the overtime win against USC on Oct. 12.

Warren tied the FBS tight end record and surpassed Penn State's mark with 17 receptions as the Nittany Lions rallied from a 20-6 halftime deficit to beat the Trojans 33-30. It was Penn State's second-largest comeback since James Franklin took over as head coach a decade ago.

The biggest play of the game came two minutes into the second half when Warren lined up in a trick formation up the middle. He hit the ball to backup quarterback Beau Pribula, who threw a side-swipe left to Allar. The Trojans weren't fooled and covered Warren. But he still jumped over USC safety Zion Branch and snagged Allar's 32-yard touchdown throw.

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Tyler Warren makes a wonderful catch on the trick play for Penn State TD

Tyler Warren makes an unlikely catch from Drew Allar to reduce Penn State's deficit against USC.

Warren played almost every position in high school, including punter and holder; he even kicked the sides. But Warren admitted he hadn't kicked the ball in a game since he was 8 years old playing Little League flag football. The stunning result was the catalyst for Penn State's recovery, as Warren finished with 224 receiving yards, the second-most yards in school history at any position.

“I've talked 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 scored two touchdowns, made another pass and blocked a punt while playing defense on almost every down.

Gray accepted the Atlee job in February 2016 and began sifting through 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 and “was there like every game” and played eighth-grade basketball.

Months later, Gray met Warren in the weight room, where he was doing a continuous series of pull-ups.

“I took him aside and told him, ‘I like the things you can do in this weight room. We will try to get the best out of you. Looks like you have a good work ethic. But this one.' “What I can't judge is how tough you are,” Gray recalled of their first conversation. “He looked at me without hesitation and said, 'I just have to show you.'

“At that point I thought, 'I think we have something here.'”

Warren played quarterback for Gray as a freshman and also developed into an all-state punter.

“There was nothing he couldn't do for us,” said Gray, who laughed as he watched Warren make plays all over the USC game and noted to himself, “Yeah, I know that for a fact.”

Warren was also an all-state center fielder while playing in the middle of Atlee's lineup. A few years earlier, in 2015, Warren went to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, just one game away from Mechanicsville, and hit three home runs in the Southeast Regional qualifier.

However, the hardwood ultimately led Warren to Penn State. Warren initially committed to play football for Virginia Tech before his junior season. But other than that, he didn't get much attention 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?”

That's why Warren put together a compilation of his basketball highlights from his junior season, including a series of electrifying dunks. Warren sent out the video and the football offers started pouring in, including from the Nittany Lions.

“The dunks were the main thing, but they showed off his overall athleticism,” said Axselle, who joked that Warren could do almost anything on the basketball court except dribble with his right hand. (Warren added that he was also never able to consistently throw strikes as a pitcher.) “It's crazy how much this (video) changed his recruiting trajectory.”

Warren's background now makes him a sought-after prospect in the upcoming NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. currently ranks Warren as the 22nd prospect available.

“When he came (to Penn State), he was learning a new position … it was just a matter of refining his skills as a tight end,” said Freiermuth, who was impressed by how much Warren improved during the offseason at practice and had improved in adapting to Kotelnicki's scheme. “I know he had the 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 has a really bright future ahead of him in the NFL.”

An NFL personnel manager said Freiermuth's comparison of Warren to Kelce is a step too far, considering how easily Kelce enters the game and how dynamic he is with the ball. However, the manager also noted that Warren is a better blocker than Kelce, who came from Cincinnati 11 years ago. Instead, the manager sees similarities with Green Bay Packers second-year playmaker Tucker Kraft, who leads NFL tight ends with 10.2 yards per reception after the catch this season and is averaging 14.3 yards per reception is in second place.

“A very reliable, very versatile player,” the manager said of Warren. “Athletic, tough, competitive. … He’ll 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.