Greg McElroy Reveals Biggest Concern for Penn State This Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Penn State Nittany Lions ended their 2024 season in heartbreaking fashion, falling to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27-24, just one game short of a national title game appearance.
However, with returning stars such as quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the team has popped up as a serious contender to win it all in 2025.
On Thursday, analyst Greg McElroy revealed teams one through 10 in his preseason rankings and at No. 2 stood the Nittany Lions, just behind the Clemson Tigers.
Tight End Worries McElroy
Even the best teams in college football have their flaws, and it’s clear the analyst believes that Penn State will have an extremely hard time replacing tight end Tyler Warren, who was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
“Here’s what concerns me, it’s replacing Tyler Warren,” McElroy said. “Their top six receivers from a year ago combined for fewer catches than their tight end, Tyler Warren, last year. … I think their depth at tight end is outstanding, but there’s not a single guy in that room that is anywhere near what Tyler Warren was to that roster last year.”
It’s a great point from McElroy, because last season Warren was amazing, appearing in 16 games, racking up 104 receptions, 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which led the team.
Penn State will certainly need to try to find his replacement, though, and in an article from Will Horstman of The Daily Collegian, he predicts that redshirt senior Khalil Dinkins will take over as the No. 1 tight end.
However, he doesn’t have much experience as a proven target, and 2024 was even his most productive season, appearing in 14 games while racking up just 14 receptions, 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Behind Dinkins, Horstman has sophomore Luke Reynolds, who had nine receptions, 111 yards and one touchdown in 2024, and redshirt sophomore Andrew Rappleyea (zero stats recorded).
The Run Game Could Define Penn State’s Season
Luckily for the Nittany Lions, McElroy’s concern could be softened if their run game between Allen and Singleton, both of whom were named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, lives up to expectations.
Last year, the two combined for 392 carries, 2,207 yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, 59 receptions, 528 yards and seven touchdowns, with CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns even naming them the most dynamic duo in college football entering 2025.
When teams have to game-plan for a two-headed monster like that, it creates less pressure for the passing attack and opens up more opportunities for the quarterback, wide receivers and tight ends.
Related: Greg McElroy Has a Different Opinion of Texas Than Everyone Else
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
