A new promotional video released — appropriately titled the “Best Tight End in College Football” — touts the Nittany Lions’ campaign for the award given to college football’s best player features future NFL Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski saying, “Everyone knows that the best athlete on the football field is the tight end. Just check out my boy, Tyler Warren.”

Before Travis Kelce began dating the most famous pop star in the world, Gronk was the face of the tight end position, and for many people the NFL legend still is. Nearly, every talented young tight end has been called baby Gronk, and Warren could be next in that lineage.

The final 40 seconds of the clip features numerous television broadcasters praising the do-everything star of the Penn State offense.

A true modern tight end has never won the Heisman and hasn’t been a Heisman finalist since Notre Dame’s Ken MacAfee finished third in 1977, but that hasn’t stopped Penn State from trying.

Photo courtesy of PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Penn State athletics is touting Nittany Lion superstar Tyler Warren as the ‘Best Tight end in College Football.’

Despite a storied football history, the Nittany Lions have produced only one Heisman winner — running back John Cappelletti in 1973.

Warren leads Penn State with 75 catches for 910 yards and five touchdowns and is the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns by a tight end, a record he broke this season.

That’s not the only record Warren has broken. Warren’s season is already the most single-season receiving yards for a Penn State tight end, surpassing Mike Gesicki, and tight end isn’t the only position that Warren has played.

A former high school quarterback, Warren has taken snaps at wide receiver, running back, quarterback and even center. He has racked up 157 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and has even thrown for a touchdown, completing two of his four pass attempts for 26 yards and a touchdown.

But what about lining up as QB, then having the snap go directly to Kaytron Allen?8 What about taking the snap, passing it backward to Drew Allar, who then passes it back to Warren for a massive gain? What about snapping the ball itself, then running downfield and catching the ball for a touchdown? And on and on it goes.

AP photo
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (44) attempts to elude the grasp of Purdue’s Kyndrich Breedlove during the first half of a Nov. 16 football game in West Lafayette, Ind.

At least one local football legend believes Warren should receive an invite to the Big Apple as one of the Heisman hopefuls.

Gary Klingensmith, who played at Penn State from 1961-64 before starting a legendary coaching run at Juniata High School, has watched Warren blossom for the Nittany Lions this season.

“He’s as versatile a player as I’ve ever seen playing at Penn State,” Klingensmith explained. “He’s definitely Heisman material; he’s the best out there. He can do about anything, so I think he should be invited.”

The former coach also marveled as Warren’s endurance for his size — 6-foot-6 and 261 pounds.

“He can run for a long pass then can come back and block just as hard,” Klingensmith added. “The next thing you know, he’ll be running the ball.”

AP photo
Penn State offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) lifts Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (44) after Warren scored a touchdown against Purdue during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.

Tyler has been nothing short of exceptional this year and should be mentioned in the same breath as Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. A versatile, do-everything player who continues to produce even though every defense knows exactly whom they should be guarding.

He’s a supremely unique player in a season with supremely unique talents being considered for the Heisman Trophy. The current favorite for the award is Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who played both ways as a star wide receiver and cornerback, and a likely contender is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Without elite quarterback candidates, Penn State is putting on a full-court press to get Warren to New York City, and that will include plenty of touches in the season finale today at Beaver Stadium against Maryland.

Warren should be invited to attend the Heisman ceremony in New York. Whether or not he wins it would be because both Hunter and Jeanty are having monster seasons of their own, not because Tyler wouldn’t deserve it.