Penn State football tight end Theo Johnson was one of nine tight ends named semifinalists for the Mackey Award Wednesday. The award is presented to the best tight end in college football.

The junior hailing from Windsor, Ontario, has appeared in 41 games since arriving in Happy Valley and has started all nine games this season for the Nittany Lions, reeling in 24 catches for 246 yards and four touchdowns.

Notably, fellow Penn State tight end Tyler Warren was not named a semifinalist for the award. This season, Warren has 23 catches for 216 yards and six touchdowns. Warren has been a more consistent target of quarterback Drew Allar, while Johnson has emerged as a play-maker over the last few weeks.

Johnson joins Michigan’s AJ Barner and Ohio State’s Cade Stover as the only three nominees from the Big Ten. Brock Bowers from Georgia, Colorado State’s Dallin Holker, North Carolina’s Bryson Nesbit, Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott, Ja’Tavion Sanders from Texas, and Oregon State’s Jack Velling round out the list.