Tyler Warren’s record-setting day solidifies him as ‘one of the best players in all of college football’

Joel Haas / For the Post-Gazette

As tight end Tyler Warren walked off the field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, a large contingent of Penn State fans clad in white, many of whom made a cross-country trip to watch the game, chanted his name.

Warren’s monstrous performance encapsulated his greatest strengths — reliability, versatility and grit. He finished with 17 catches, tying the FBS single-game record for tight ends, and added 224 receiving yards, shattering a program record for tight ends, which he previously set against Bowling Green.

“I've been talking about him being the best tight end in college football, but the reality is, he's now part of a conversation of one of the best players in all of college football,” James Franklin said.

Highlighting his performance was a 32-yard touchdown reception over the top of a USC defender, which came on a double-pass from Beau Pribula and Drew Allar after Warren snapped the ball.

Additionally, Warren recorded a 9-yard pass out of the shotgun and a 4-yard run out of the Wildcat. He also lined up in the backfield to add stress on the Trojan defense. He said the key to the game was, ironically, “not trying to do too much.”

“I'm very happy with the performance, but it's not something I was shooting for or anything like that. I'm just doing my job in each play,” Warren said. “I had more receptions this week, so the numbers were a little higher.”

Warren’s career day propelled Penn State to a 33-30 overtime win, advancing the Nittany Lions to 6-0 on the season heading into its second bye week.

“This was just an awesome way to come in and come into a tough place to play against a really good team,” Warren said. “And you know, it was a grind that we grinded out. I think we were happy with the way we played, the way we fought back.”

On the season, Warren has 40 receptions for 513 yards and four touchdowns, with five carries for 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground, in addition to two pass completions for 26 yards and a score. His receiving numbers have already surpassed his totals from last season.

“I think just being a year older, more experienced, I feel like our offense just kind of stepped up a lot since last year. Playing together and playing for each other has been awesome,” Warren said.

Though he primarily specializes as a receiver, Warren has shown the ability to be effective in other ways, making him one of the most difficult players to guard in college football. On top of leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns by a wide margin, Warren also has the highest passer rating on the team and more yards per carry than running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Despite the big game, Warren remained humble, crediting his teammates for their contributions.

“There's 10 or 11 guys on the field at a time, and one guy usually will make a play,” Warren said. “There's so many other things that go into it, 10 other guys had to do something for that one guy to make a play. That’s just kinda why I love football.”