From playing basketball in his driveway with his brothers to being a quarterback and safety for Cheshire Academy to enrolling as a tight end at Penn State, sophomore Luke Reynolds has always been driven by a competitive spirit.
It’s been the key to his ascension up the recruiting ranks and throughout his college career, as he’s developing into a top pass-catcher for the Nittany Lions in his second season on campus.
“I just love to win,” Reynolds said Tuesday. “You know, I’m sure everyone else does too, but there’s nothing that gets me more aggravated than losing or knowing that I could have done something better. So I guess that’s just where my competitive nature comes from.”
Reynolds did his part in Penn State’s 34-0 win over Florida International last Saturday, with a team-leading seven receptions on nine targets. With starting tight end Khalil Dinkins struggling (one catch on five targets), Reynolds finished the game with more snaps than the veteran.
This offseason, Reynolds was locked in a battle for the TE2 role with redshirt sophomore Andrew Rappleyea, who was a Week 1 starter against West Virginia last season before a long-term injury. Now, Reynolds appears to be pushing for the starting role through two games, showcasing that competitive spirit not only against opponents but within the position room.
“I would say about Luke, I feel like he’s just the ultimate competitor,” wide receiver Devonte Ross said. “You see him at practice every single day. He takes what he does seriously, all of his reps, what we’re doing, one-on-ones. It doesn’t matter. He wants to win every single time. And I love that about Luke, I really enjoy watching him play football. He can do amazing things. I feel like he can do anything that he wants to. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Reynolds was viewed as a high-ceiling recruit, ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the 2024 class by 247Sports for showcasing great measurables and receiving ability. But every recruiting evaluation came with a caveat: Reynolds would need time and effort to develop after a position switch late in his high school career.
In his evaluation, 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote Reynolds “Should be viewed as one of the top tight ends in the 2024 cycle. Far from a complete product, but has the traits to emerge as a true difference-maker on Saturdays and possibly even Sundays if he can keep evolving.”
Part of his development involved adding mass. Reynolds was listed at 220 pounds as a high school senior but blossomed to 248 pounds as a freshman and is now sitting at 250 for this season.
“I think the strength staff, all of them, and even Leanne (Loudon), our nutritionist, has done a great job getting my body right,” Reynolds said. “Obviously gained some weight, but I feel more explosive. I think Coach (Chuck) Losey does a great job with explosiveness and just maintaining the athleticism that we came in with.”
Reynolds credited his offseason reps with quarterback Drew Allar for building trust, making their connection stronger and allowing him to play a larger role in the offense this season.
But as any player will express, practice reps are much different than game reps. Against the Panthers, Reynolds had the best game of his career, giving him valuable experience against a real opponent.
“It definitely boosted my confidence. Just being very fortunate to have a lot of those reps, it was just the way the game went, I guess,” Reynolds said. “(Against) Nevada I didn’t have as many targets. But the game plan for each week is different.”
