Penn State football’s Tyler Warren never talks about himself. He doesn’t do it when he runs 48 yards into the end zone, dives over defensive linemen to score a touchdown, or makes other eye-catching, highlight-reel plays that have made the tight end a revelation for the Nittany Lions this season.

Instead, Warren consistently praises tight ends coach Ty Howle and other players, past and present, who are in the position room.

“It’s nice to get recognized, but I think it really just speaks to the guys around me,” Warren said after the Purdue win. “It’s not the most important thing on my agenda, and I know all the stuff that guys do on the plays and all the things I do… So it’s just it’s hard to sit and point the finger at one person when everyone’s doing such a good job.”

Warren had one of his most complete games of the season against Purdue, as he led both teams with 127 receiving yards, 63 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns. James Franklin said postgame Warren should be in the Heisman Trophy conversation, but Warren doesn’t listen much. Franklin added Monday he thinks Warren has a “rotary house phone,” which makes blocking out noise easier.

Naturally, the Heisman conversation is accompanied by NFL Draft talk. Warren was a projected day-two pick in last year’s draft, but he could be the first tight end drafted next May, possibly in the first round.

“Tyler Warren had a pretty high draft grade last year, came back, and I think it’s been a win-win. I think he’s going to be the first tight end drafted, is having a great year, is having a ton of fun with his teammates, and that’s what you want, right? You want it to be a great situation for everybody,” Franklin said.

The Mechanicsville, Virginia, native had 422 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while he split starting duties with Theo Johnson. Warren had over half those yards in one game, with 224 receiving yards against USC last month. He has 808 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, 157 rushing yards and four receiving touchdowns, and 26 passing yards with a passing touchdown this season.

Like other Penn State tight ends, Warren waited his turn before he experienced this season’s success. Howle’s room is built on those principles, which has contributed to a tight-knit group that has each other’s backs.

“I played with Pat [Freiermuth], and then Brenton [Strange] and Theo [Johnson] are two guys who have helped me a lot. And then some other guys you might not even know like Trevor Baker, Grayson Kline, and other guys that’ve just been in that room. It’s just a brotherhood. I could call probably any of them today and they’d answer and be able to talk to me, so it’s really something special,” Warren said after the Washington win.

Warren only overlapped with Freiermuth for one season, the pandemic-shortened campaign in 2020. His three 100-plus receiving-yard games are more than any tight end in program history, and he’s one score away from breaking Freiermuth’s record for most receiving touchdowns by a Penn State tight end.

Freiermuth may not have been in the same room as Warren for long, but the two keep in touch. Two months ago, the now-Pittsburgh Steeler told Nittany Sports Now they talk “probably every week,” and that Warren asks for advice.

Strange and Johnson followed Freiermuth to the NFL. Strange was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars two years later in 2023, and Johnson was selected by the New York Giants last April. They make up four former Penn State tight ends in the NFL, along with Mike Gesicki. Warren, a senior, will be the fifth.

Now, though, Warren is leaving his legacy in Happy Valley. Once he’s gone, Luke Reynolds, Khalil Dinkins, and Andrew Rappleyea look poised to be next up.

“The best thing I can do is just be myself, lead by example, but they’re great players themselves. [Luke Reynolds] is going to be a heck of a tight end here. He got his first touchdown today, it was awesome. And [Khalil Dinkins] did a lot of good stuff today on the field that wasn’t necessarily flashy things, but he played a great game as well. So there’s a lot of talent in this tight end room, and it’s going to be good for a while,” Warren said after the Purdue game.

All of this tied back to Howle’s ability to build a great tight end room. His ability to find high-potential tight end prospects, recruit them to Happy Valley, and develop them to their full potential has been invaluable to Penn State’s overall program. It has paid off, as the Nittany Lions have seen on-field and recruiting success.

“We’re recruiting the best tight ends in the country. We’re developing the best tight ends in the country. It’s a competitive room. You’ve got to embrace that. Then, you just look at what’s happening after they get done playing at Penn State. They’re all getting their degrees, and they’re all getting drafted, and the majority of them are getting drafted very high,” said Franklin.

Howle has overseen a significant growth of Penn State’s tight end room during his three years as tight ends coach. Warren’s success can be attributed to Howle’s coaching, which he’ll continue to do with players in the future.

“I don’t think it’s talked about enough. There’s no school in the country, there’s no program in the country that is doing what we’re doing with tight ends now, and really over the last 10 years. Ty Howle has come into that position as a Penn State letterman and I think has taken it to a whole other level,” Franklin said.