Penn State has a blend of experience and youth at the tight end position, led by redshirt senior Kyle Carter and redshirt sophomore Adam Breneman. The group also features breakout candidate Mike Gesicki and incoming freshmen Nick Bowers and Jonathan Holland. Even in the absence of Jesse James, coach James Franklin has all the ingredients for a productive unit with significant upside.
Franklin has been clear about at least one thing when it comes to his tight ends, though: they must be ready to block, or they risk sitting on the bench. As the Nittany Lions conclude their spring, progress can be gauged among tight ends by how much they’ve impressed Franklin with their physicality. That will be a key issue to watch during the Blue-White spring game.
Dustin Hockensmith, Andrew P. Shay and Bob Flounders took a look at Penn State’s tight ends and how the group fits together this season (and beyond) in a segment for the Keystone Sports Network. Check out audio from the show in this post and get plenty more podcasts and analysis on KeystoneSportsNetwork.com and by following @KSNSportsNet on Twitter.