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Penn State's Tyler Warren Launched a Heisman Campaign From a Kernel of Self-Doubt

Warren once wondered whether he was good enough to play tight end at Penn State. Now, he's a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.

Daniel Mader

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
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Tight end Tyler Warren already has etched his name in the Penn State football record book. He holds records for career total touchdowns (22), receiving yards (1,516) and 100-yard receiving games (five) among Nittany Lions tight ends. This week he was named a finalist for the 2024 Mackey Award, given to college football’s top tight end, and Penn State released a Heisman Trophy campaign video featuring Rob Gronkowski and Frank Sinatra.

Warren’s dominance this season (910 receiving yards, 157 rushing yards, nine total TDs) has propelled him into the national spotlight, potentially enough so that he could soon receive an invitation to New York as one of four Heisman finalists. But behind his versatility, game-changing impact and unselfishness is the story of a high school quarterback-turned-tight-end who questioned whether he might even play at Penn State.  

RELATED: Why Tyler Warren should be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony

An unsure freshman’s path to stardom

Warren's backstory is well known. He played quarterback at Virginia's Atlee High School and initially committed to Virginia Tech at the position before switching paths in 2019. He decommitted from Virginia Tech's recruiting class in March and committed to Penn State in July as a tight end. There, he started over.

For years, Penn State has held a “team share” on Friday nights before games, during which players reveal personal stories and vulnerabilities with teammates. Earlier this season, Warren opened up about his self-doubt upon arriving at Penn State in 2020.

“One of the things [Warren] got up and said is that as a true freshman, he didn’t know if he’d ever play here,” Franklin said. “For our freshmen and some sophomores to be sitting in that room and they’re questioning the same thing, and you’re hearing Tyler Warren say that? You’re like, ‘Wow.’ You’d never think Tyler Warren felt that way based on how he is playing right now.”

It seems unimaginable that the player Franklin has called “the most complete tight end in the country” once questioned whether he would play at Penn State. By now, Warren’s not just the “complete” tight end capable of making physical grabs and blocking wherever needed. He has become the living embodiment of a trick play, constantly lining up at new positions as a do-it-all weapon. This season, Warren has played six positions and has caught, run, passed, snapped and even punted the football. He did two on the same play at USC.

Warren and center Nick Dawkins, also a starter and significant team voice, were part of the same 2020 recruiting class. As freshmen they discussed, with 2024 NFL first-round draft pick Olu Fashanu, their uncertain futures. 

“Ty Warren’s one of my best friends, we kind of went through that patch together,” Dawkins said. “We all had a conversation in my apartment, like, ‘Man, are we going to be able to play here? Are we going to be able to do what's asked of us?’”

Quarterback Drew Allar added that Warren’s openness to share those doubts was good for the team’s younger players to hear. 

“I think it kind of resonates with everybody, because there's always certain points at people's careers where they're questioning, are they good enough,” Allar said. “Sticking to the process and the routine and just constantly chasing improvement and finding ways to get better will ultimately lead you to your goals and your dreams. I know for me, it resonated with me in different ways. … It was really cool to hear from a guy like Tyler.”

RELATED: Penn State's Andy Kotelnicki funds a muse in Tyler Warren

‘He’s team-first’

Against Minnesota last week, Penn State led 26-25 in the fourth quarter after executing a fake punt and converting another 4th-and-1 on an Allar sneak. Clearly, Franklin wanted to shut the door on a last-second comeback by the Golden Gophers. So when the Nittany Lions reached yet another fourth down with 27 seconds remaining, they called a play to end the game there.  

Allar, after finding primary target Nicholas Singleton covered and scrambling a bit, found a wide-open Warren near Minnesota’s 5-yard line. Just a few yards from the end zone, the tight end could have easily done what he does best, running through a defender to notch his 10th touchdown of the season. Instead, he chose to secure Penn State’s 10th win. 

“Maybe my favorite play of the game was what we call surrender. … It means, once you get the
first down you go down, or once you're about to score you go down before scoring,” Franklin said. “It's a perfect example of Tyler Warren. You know, with that catch he has a chance to score and be the all-time leading scorer in Penn State history at the tight end position, and he falls down at the 1-yard line. Easily could have scored; goes down.”

Had he scored the touchdown, Warren would have broken Penn State’s record for career receiving touchdowns by a tight end with 17, breaking a tie with Pat Freiermuth. He’ll have a chance to set that record Saturday against Maryland. 

“He's team first. … He's going to do whatever it takes to win the game,” Allar said. “Obviously, we've had a pretty successful year as a team, but he's also had a really good year individually. And I think that kind of goes hand-in-hand.”

Warren for Heisman?

It might take one last big-time performance against Maryland for Warren to close his case as a top-four Heisman candidate and earn an invitation to New York. Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty likely are locks, with quarterbacks Cam Ward of Miami, Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Will Howard of Ohio State contending as well. In reality, it’s not easy for a tight end to win a Heisman; in fact, no player listed at the position has ever won the award. Warren’s case in 2024, though, is legitimate. 

“Him being in the Heisman race is a testament to how much work he puts in day in and day out. He's obviously like a Swiss Army knife for us as an offense,” offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh said last week. “I don't know if a tight end has ever done what he's been doing.”

Whether Warren gets invited to the Dec. 9 ceremony, he has come a long way since being the true freshman, doubting his future at Penn State. Warren has made an immeasurable impact on the Nittany Lions’ program, proving himself as an elite talent and leader as his team pursues a spot in the College Football Playoff. But if Warren does get the invitation, he might not be easy to reach.  

“Tyler Warren, I think he's still got a house phone, a rotary house phone,” Franklin said. “I think he's going to be the first tight end drafted [in 2025], is having a great year, is having a ton of fun with his teammates, and that's what you want.”

More Penn State Football

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Why the CFP selection committee kept Penn State above Notre Dame in the latest rankings

Penn State's Nick Dawkins recognized for his commitment to service

Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports. 

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Daniel Mader
DANIEL MADER

Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_, or Instagram @dmadersports.

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