Two of the more intriguing young members of Penn State's roster this fall are redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Rapplyea and his position mate, true freshman Luke Reynolds.
Following Penn State's Wednesday practice, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin met with the media for the last time prior to the Nittany Lions season opener on Saturday against West Virginia.
Among the major takeaways stemming from his time with the media was that both Rapplyea and Reynolds are expected to have roles against the Mountaineers.
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"I think you'll see a ton of Rapplyea, I think you'll see a decent amount of Luke as well in this game," Franklin said to the media on Wednesday.
The revelation from Franklin notably came after backup tight end Khalil Dinkins was absent from the media portion of practice on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions head coach earlier this month noted that the redshirt junior tight end was dealing with some bumps and bruises.
With Dinkins potentially out for Saturday's matchup against West Virginia, Rappleyea and Reynolds will look to fill the gap.
Rapplyea, a redshirt freshman, played in three games last season for the Nittany Lions but did not record a reception. The Massachusetts native was a Rivals250 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and considered a top-10 tight end in the country.
Throughout this offseason, Rapplyea was pushing Dinkins for Penn State's No. 2 tight end spot and that position battle was expected to continue into the fall.
Reynolds, was a Rivals250 prospect and top-10 tight end himself in the 2024 recruiting cycle and was pinpointed as a potential contributor early in his Penn State career thanks to his raw talent and athleticism.
Following Penn State's fall camp, Reynolds alongside junior quarterback Drew Allar earned the program's "Touchdown Kings" moniker.
"He's going to be a really good player here," Franklin said of Reynolds shortly afterwards while also comparing the former high school quarterback to Penn State starting tight end Tyler Warren.
Earlier this James Franklin told the media that offensive lineman Cooper Cousins and safety Dejuan Lane were the only true freshmen so far to receive the 'green light', clearing them to play in more than four games this fall.
However, Franklin also stated that the 'green light' is a moving target and that more players could earn their own green light following week one or as the season progresses. Reynolds appears to be firmly in that mix of Nittany Lion true freshmen who could eventually do so.
How much either tight end sees the field on Saturday remains to be seen but their expected presence on the field adds another intriguing storyline to the mix for Saturday's season opener.
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