Penn State's TE room following Mathias Barnwell departure
On Monday, Happy Valley Insider confirmed with a Penn State spokesperson that 2023 signee Mathias Barnwell, is no longer with the program. The surprise departure is one that stings for Penn State but does not have a terribly big impact on the Nittany Lions' depth chart for this upcoming fall.
That being said, now with Barnwell no longer with the Nittany Lions, here's how the program's tight end room looks heading into the summer.
At the top of the tight end room is a pair of juniors Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren. A formidable duo who has the chance to be one of the better tight-end tandems in not just the Big Ten but the entire country.
Johnson after being banged up to start last year began to find his stride at the end of the year and is in line to be the Nittany Lions' starting tight end this fall if he can stay healthy. Through his first three years on campus, Johnson has played in 32 games, recording 43 receptions for 597 yards and five touchdowns. If he does in fact stay healthy, he has a chance to put up huge numbers.
Warren, on the other hand, has had a smaller impact but has shown quite a few flashes in his three years on campus. Across 27 games, he's recorded 15 receptions for 184 yards and four touchdowns. The uber-athletic tight end has a chance to have a bigger role in 2023 than he's had in the past and will serve as key rotational player who will likely see a similar rep count to Johnson.
After Warren's redshirt sophomore tight end, Khalil Dinkins and redshirt freshman Jerry Cross fill out the middle of the depth chart.
Dinkins played in four games for the Nittany Lions last year, recording four receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-4 athlete out of Wexford (PA) could be in line for a nice role if injuries occur but will provide a solid depth option at the least.
Cross was banged up for most of last season which limited his development, he had a solid spring however, and should see his first taste of action this fall.
Finally, there is true freshman Joey Schlaffer and Andrew Rappleyea. Schlaffer should be in for a redshirt season this fall but Rappleyea, on the other hand, is a bit more of a wildcard.
There are those who believe he could make an immediate impact this fall for the Nittany Lions and we won't rule that out. He's an incredibly gifted tight-end prospect who has drawn comparisons to Pat Friermuth, will it result in a non-redshirt year? That remains to be seen but there is a ton of excitement around Rappleyea and Schlaffer as well inside Lasch.
Overall, Penn State despite the departure from Barnwell still has a very strong tight end room and one of the best in the country. That tight end room is only set to get stronger in the future as well as the Nittany Lions hold a commitment in the 2024 recruiting cycle from Luke Reynolds, who like Tyler Warren is a quarterback turned tight end. Reynolds has had a monster spring and could be a big riser in the rankings.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel