Penn State’s tight end corps is well known for its offensive capabilities. From Kyle Carter to freshman Mike Gesicki there are talented and athletic tight ends filling the roster.
But according to head coach James Franklin, it isn’t the offense and the stats that he wants out of his tight end group.
“Everybody gets so caught up in catches and yards, but that really hasn’t been our focus,” Franklin said on Tuesday. “Our focus with them since the day we arrived on campus was their impact in the running game and that area still needs to improve. I think the offensive line hears a lot about what they need to do, and I think the tight ends are a big part of that, as well.”
Considering that Penn State has the likes of Jesse James — a 6 foot 7, 254 pound battering ram — blocking on the end, it’s reasonable for Franklin to expect his tight ends to get more and more involved in a weak running game. And while Penn State’s tight ends might be elite that doesn’t mean they don’t have room to improve.
“I think we have to make sure the tight ends and the O‑line are working together and finishing well and finishing blocks,” Franklin said. “That’s the area we have to improve. I think when that happens, you’ll see bigger plays happen in the passing game because off play‑action and things like that. That’s what happened with Jesse a few weeks ago.
“They go doing some nice things in the passing game but we never questioned that. It’s the running game. So that’s all those guys that are a part of that. The O‑line, the coaches, the players, the tight ends, that’s everybody working together to get our O‑line where it needs to be. … We have the size and the strength at that position to be dominant in the running game, and that’s the next step we need to take.”
And Penn State’s running game will take all the help it can get. The Nittany Lions have amassed 227 total yards on the ground this season at an average of 2.5 yards a carry. Averaging 70 yards a game on the ground is good — or bad — enough to rank the Nittany Lions 120th in the nation.
“We just need to execute better,” tight end Jesse James said earlier this week. “The coaches put us in the right places to make plays. Running the ball and everything, we just need to execute the game plan a little bit better. I think if we do that, the running game and the passing game will improve.”
And with some tough games coming fast, the sooner the running game gets going the better.
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