As one Penn State tight end likely returns to action, another has been ruled out. Andrew Rappleyea, who played significantly as the team’s No. 2 tight end last weekend, has been listed inactive ahead of the Nittany Lions’ home opener against Bowling Green, per the Big Ten’s Availability Report.
In a positive light for James Franklin’s program, the team appears poised to return veteran tight end Khalil Dinkins, who is not listed as out or questionable after missing the season opener at West Virginia. Dinkins played in 12 games last season, hauling in 57 receiving yards and two touchdowns while serving a significant role as a run blocker.
“He’s missed a ton of time, both mentally and physically, so we got to knock the rust off,” Franklin said after practice Wednesday. “And we’ll see — if he’s ready, he, as you guys have seen, can be a weapon for us. But if he’s not physically ready or mentally ready, then we feel like we got some guys … that we think can fill that role.”
Rappleyea played 18 snaps alongside starting tight end Tyler Warren at West Virginia last Saturday. With Dinkins’ readiness for a bulk of action still unclear, Rappleyea was anticipated to once again play significantly on Saturday.
It’ll be former five-star freshman Luke Reynolds, redshirt freshman Joey Schlaffer and redshirt sophomore Jerry Cross to man the depth behind Warren and Dinkins.
“Football is very important to him. He works at it. He’s committed, he’s athletic, he’s a great route runner. He wants to be a physical tight end, which is something that’s very important to us here,” Franklin said of Rappleyea. “As you guys know, I keep saying Tyler Warren’s the most complete tight end in the country. I think Rap has a chance to be one of those guys, as well.”
Penn State linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson, who tallied two tackles against the Mouintaineers, has also been ruled out ahead of kickoff.
