Tyler Warren leaped up, made a one-handed grab, and came down just before tiptoeing out of bounds. The Penn State football tight end and former high school quarterback then lined up under center, took the snap, and tossed it to Nick Singleton – who dashed 17 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

Warren was once again dominant in Penn State’s 56-0 thrashing of Kent State. He finished the game with 50 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, 16 rushing yards, and the aforementioned touchdown pass.

James Franklin has said it before, and he said it again after the game: Tyler Warren is the best tight end in the country. And with each passing game, that continues to look more and more like the case.

“Ty Warren is the best tight end in college football,” he said. “The tight end position isn’t supposed to be about receiving yards. It’s about complete players, blockers, receivers, rushers, and throwing the ball.”

The senior has proven to be dependable time and time again, and he’s an integral part of every game. Want any more evidence of that? His seven targets were more than any player on the field today.

He’s been asked before what it means to hear that type of praise from Franklin, who has previously labeled him the “most complete” tight end in college football. Warren cited tight end coach Ty Howle’s work with the position room, as he emphasizes developing various running, blocking, and receiving skills.

“I think all of us in the room really take a lot of pride in that,” he said. “It starts with Ty Howle – what he preaches in the run game and being weapons in the passing game, like run after catch and stuff like that – that’s kind of just what our identity is as a tight end room and what we try to build on every week.”

Warren had 18 yards after the catch on Saturday, proving elusive to tackle at almost any given point. While that’s something everyone thought he did well, other things not so much. Warren’s touchdown pass wasn’t a typical laser or bullet pass one would typically expect from Drew Allar, for instance. Nonetheless, it got the job done.

“He threw a touchdown. I told him it was one of the ugliest touchdown passes I’ve ever seen, but it went for a touchdown, which is all that matters,” Franklin said.

Warren’s response?

“Six points,” he said with a laugh.

“I meant to throw it over because I saw the guy coming up, so I knew Nick [Singleton] would have the speed to get behind. I meant to put it over his head. I didn’t have the best grip on the ball with my glove. And it’s kind of back door pass like in basketball, but it ended up working out,” Warren said.

Warren’s performance in the game played an integral win in the victory, as it typically does. Opponents around the country would be naive to gloss over him, especially when the offense is rolling.

The Nittany Lions put up 718 total yards, which is an all-time program record. Warren chose to come back another season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft, where he’ll almost certainly be playing this time next year. The offensive success is satisfying to him, but he feels he’s got more work to do.

“I’m glad our offense is where we’re at right now, and our tight end room is stepping up when it needs to,” Warren said. “So I think just staying that course and being the best tight end I can be, and making sure our room is doing what we need to do to be able to do all things as a tight end and keep helping out the offense.”