The 2019 Penn State Nittany Lions: Tight ends

Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Trace McSorley during the second half of last season’s game against Rutgers. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Over the next several days, Times Shamrock Penn State football beat writer Donnie Collins will break down the Nittany Lions’ roster, position by position, predicting the depth chart for the Nittany Lions’ opener against Idaho on Aug. 31 along the way.

Today we start with the tight ends.

The contenders

No.	Player	HT	WT	ELIG
17	Grayson Kline	6’5”	239	rFR
43	Trevor Baker	6’3”	227	rSo
82	Zack Kuntz	6’7”	243	rFr
83	Nick Bowers	6’3”	260	Sr
86	Brenton Strange	6’3”	233	Fr
87	Pat Freiermuth	6’5”	256	So

 

The 2018 results

 

Player	Catches	Yards	TDs	AVG
Freiermuth	26	368	8	14.2
Bowers	6	50	1	8.3
Kuntz	1	8	0	8

 

The names to know

Obviously, Pat Freiermuth is the big name at the position and will be viewed as one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten — if not the nation — heading into 2019.

An argument can be made that he was no worse than Penn State’s third-best player last season on offense, and his eight touchdowns set the program’s freshman record at the position. He was named a freshman All-American by Sports Illustrated and 247Sports, and he was honorable mention All-Big Ten.

As good as Freiermuth was, 2018 turned out to be a coming-out party of sorts for Nick Bowers, who battled injury his first three seasons in the program before emerging as a more-than-reliable backup as a junior. He could give Penn State the opportunity to both line up in some two tight-end sets and spell Freiermuth with as good a combination of blocking and receiving as the Nittany Lions have had in their top two tight ends in many years.

“I think he’s going to have a huge year for us,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said of Bowers. “He’s also a guy that’s a senior, has had a lot of adversity and has battled through it and has just been a fantastic teammate. He’s been a fantastic student here and in the community, and I think he’s going to have a huge year for us this year.”

Zack Kuntz starred on the scout team last season and he did appear in the Kent State game, so while he retained his freshman eligibility, he also brings some experience into a campaign in which he has a shot to be the third option.

What’s new?

Penn State added one four-star recruit in its 2019 class, and Brenton Strange is already turning heads.

Strange enrolled in January and caught three passes for 19 yards. But, coaches have praised his athleticism, his ability to leap up and win the competition for the deep ball a la former Nittany Lions tight end Mike Gesicki. He brings an element of athleticism to the position and could push Kuntz and Bowers for the backup role.

Walk-on Grayson Kline spent last season as a quarterback, but he moved to the position to add depth. He’s an intriguing prospect at 6-foot-5.

 

The forecast

Starter	Pat Freiermuth
Backup	Nick Bowers
3	Zack Kuntz

The top two spots are obvious enough. Freiermuth would be the starter on most teams around the nation, and Bowers is serviceable if he remains healthy. Kuntz, who has been in the system for a year-and-a-half, should open the season as the third-stringer, but Strange will push him and Bowers for their respective spots by the time November dawns.

The Nittany Lions will be fine here, depth-wise, barring injury, and the future is bright.