STATE COLLEGE — Kyle Carter’s response told the whole story.
About an hour after first-year head coach James Franklin addressed the media prior to the first day of practice Aug. 4 and said he thought much production Penn State lost with All-American wide receiver Allen Robinson’s departure to the National Football League would be made up by the team’s tight ends, Carter was asked about that comment.
“Did he really (say that)?” the redshirt junior said with a smile and a laugh. “We have a lot of seniority coming back in the tight end group. We have a lot of guys that played a lot of football so that doesn’t really surprise me.”
The void left by Robinson, a two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year, is rather large. Robinson had 97 receptions, 1,432 yards and six touchdowns last season.
The player with the second-most catches last season among returning Nittany Lions is Carter’s fellow tight end Jesse James, who hauled in 25 for 333 yards and three scores.
Heading into the start of preseason camp, Penn State figured to be loaded at tight end. Carter, James and sophomore Adam Breneman combined for 58 catches, 713 yards and six touchdowns last season.
But that depth took a big hit a week into practice when it was announced that Breneman would be out for an indefinite period of time with an undisclosed injury. Several reports indicated that the
injury was to his left knee. Breneman missed his senior season at Cedar Cliff High School with a torn ACL in his right knee.
The Nittany Lions, however, still have talent waiting in the wings to go along with James and Carter. True freshman Mike Gesicki was one of the nation’s top recruits and the team also returns redshirt sophomore Brent Wilkerson, who missed last season with a back injury.
“They’ve all stepped up and did their roles,” sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg said. “Those guys are a great bunch of guys who have bright futures and have a lot of talent. They’re going to help this team win a lot of games.”
Hackenberg also pointed out every tight end’s ability to block, as they made it a focal point to be in offensive line meetings to try and understand protections during summer workouts.
Blocking, as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach John Donovan put it, will be essential toward determining just how effective the tight end corps will really be.
“If they can’t block and they can’t think, then we’ll play four receivers and that’s what they have to know going in,” Donovan said. “If they’re able to be versatile and not only catch the ball, but block and stick their face in there and create movement and be tough and enable us to present people different things with them in the game, then they’ll prove their worth.”
The work has been put in and the foundation has been set for the tight ends to help the offense have a big year like it has the past two seasons under then-head coach Bill O’Brien. Now, it’s all about execution.
“We all definitely do bring something different to the table,” Carter said. “We’re going to get a lot of chances to make plays. I know we can make the plays we have to make. We just have to go out there and do it.”