Penn State sophomore TE labeled as breakout candidate for 2025 college football season

Penn State football is adjusting to life without Mackey Award-winning tight end Tyler Warren in 2025. Fortunately for James Franklin, the Nittany Lions tight end room is stacked with young talent that has plenty of star potential.

The Nittany Lions may not have to wait long to find another All-American candidate at the position. This week, 247Sports included sophomore tight end Luke Reynolds among its list of breakout candidates for the 2025 season.

“Nobody expects Luke Reynolds to be the next Tyler Warren at Penn State, but the talented young tight end could carve out a name of his own in Happy Valley,” wrote college football writer Cody Nagel. “A member of the 247Sports’ 2024 Freaks List and No. 1 ranked tight end in the 2024 recruiting class, Reynolds is a top contender to fill the role of the departing All-American with the Nittany Lions.”

Warren has high expectations for former Penn State teammate

Penn State football tight end Luke Reynolds. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

The former five-star prospect appeared in all 16 games for Penn State football last fall, making nine catches for 111 yards and a score. He also showed that he can come up in clutch moments, breaking off a 32-yard rush on a fake punt in a critical fourth-and-one in the Nittany Lions’ thrilling 26-25 win at Minnesota.

“We all play positions, but you can just tell when a guy’s a football player and has kind of a natural knack for it,” Warren said of Reynolds during February’s NFL Combine. “He’s done some stuff in practice, carrying the ball, where he’s just making moves like a running back might look. Going out and making crazy catches.

“He’s got everything you need to be at times. Got a great mentality, too. So, I’m excited to see where his season goes.”

Reynolds will compete with a crowded room to see the field this fall. Penn State returns Khalil Dinkins, who had 14 receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns as a redshirt junior in 2024. The Nittany Lions also have former four-star Andrew Rappleyea – the No. 2 tight end in the 2023 cycle – who is still battling back from a season-ending injury sustained last September.

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