More Complete Zack Kuntz Ready to Compete for Snaps
Zack Kuntz won’t hide from the goal he shared with many new recruits across college athletics when he first arrived at Penn State — he wanted to step in and contribute on the field right away.
That didn’t turn out to be the case for Kuntz, now a redshirt sophomore. The former four-star prospect sat out his freshman season before earning the chance to play on special teams as a sophomore.
Now preparing to battle for a larger role in Penn State’s offense out of the tight end position, Kuntz is comfortable with the path he’s taken.
“I’m happy with where I’m at,” he said Wednesday during a web conference with members of the media. “Everyone wishes they could do a little bit better and find some things to improve on. But from a football perspective, obviously, I wish I could play a little bit more, but other players in the room have shown that they have the ability to perform and do that on a consistent basis, so it’s my job to improve on my own game so I can earn that trust from the other players and my coaches so that I can have that opportunity as well.”
Kuntz was listed second behind Pat Freiermuth on Penn State’s spring depth chart, ahead of redshirt freshman Brenton Strange. And while Freiermuth has the starting job on lock, his understudy will still have an important role to play if last season’s frequent use of two-tight end sets was any indication.
“I think that is shaping up to be a very important position battle on our offensive unit this year, with Nick Bowers leaving, finding the replacement,” tight ends coach Tyler Bowen said.
“Obviously, you guys see we're going to utilize multiple tight ends at the position.
“I've been very pleased with Zack and Brenton, how they've approached it. Zack, you know, really his first two years here, and Brenton for a year, just how they've approached it in the weight room, how they've approached it in the classroom. And I think they're both shaping up to have a pretty special practice session, whenever we get that back going.”
A key aspect of those two-tight end sets last season was Bowers’ keen run blocking ability — an area of the game that has been a work in progress for Kuntz.
Coming out of high school, Kuntz admitted, he was a “glorified wide receiver,” but now he feels he’s made the mental strides necessary to adjust his game to the collegiate level.
“My freshman year when I first got here, it helped me humble myself,” Kuntz said. “I learned a lot. I think a redshirt year was great for me, learning a lot, and giving me that extra time to put on weight.”
Kuntz, who is listed at 6-foot-7. arrived at Penn State a slim 220 pounds. He figures he’s somewhere around 250 pounds now, and feels much more equipped to contribute in the Nittany Lions’ blocking game as he rounds into a more complete player.
“I’m not a 220-pound high school kid in there anymore,” Kuntz said.
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