Hey, guys. I’ve been pretty busy for the past couple weeks, but with spring football starting up, and the Blue-White Game around the corner, well, I figure I owe it to you, the loyal reader, to start updating more often.

Over the next week or so, leading up to the spring game, and perhaps continuing after it, depending on how resolved some of the questions seem to be, I’ll take a look at some of the key position battles for the Nittany Lions.  With 16 starters from last year departing, Penn State has plenty of spots up for grabs, but we’ll start with a situation that remains relatively unresolved from last year: the tight end spot.

The players:

Andrew Quarless has one year left of eligibility, one year to turn around a college career that to this point has got to be considered a huge dud.  After a very solid true freshman season that saw Quarless catch 21 balls for 288 yards, Andrew almost immediately found himself in Joe Paterno’s doghouse, earning himself a two-game suspension to start the 2007 season.  He was cited by University Police for underage drinking, which is something I can’t kill him for.  Still,it looked like Quarless was going to blossom into a star when he opened up that season with a 2-touchdown performance against Buffalo.  Unfortunately, he recorded only 12 catches and no touchdowns in the other 9 games of the season.  Last year was even worse for Quarless, as he caught just 11 balls for just over 100 yards.  Strangely enough, he was the only one who didn’t get killed for his participation in marijuana-gate, despite his previous transgressions.  What’s so frustrating about Quarless is that he is, far and away, the most talented tight end on the roster, athletically speaking.  He is a quarterback’s dream at 6′5, 250, and has been timed as running the 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds.  The problems for Quarless have been with his dedication and focus, both on and off the field.  One website might have said it best, Quarless is “a first round talent with a seventh round attitude.”

When Mickey Shuler committed to play for Penn State, it was seen by many as a wasted scholarship.  Shuler was a two-star recruit for both major recruiting services, and it looked like the only reason he even received a scholarship was because his father played for Penn State, and eventually in the NFL, at the tight end position.  But as we’ve seen before with players who come in lightly recruited, Shuler was out to prove his detractors wrong from day one.  Shuler, who enters 2008 as a fifth-year senior, didn’t play much in his redshirt freshman season, earning no countable stats.  2007 saw him catch 7 balls in just four games, but that season was headlined by a phenomenal performance in the season opener against FIU, in which Shuler caught four balls and a touchdown.  Last year, Shuler saw action in only eight games, handicapped by injury woes.  But when he was on the field, Shuler performed solidly, reigning in 9 catches and 120 yards, with his best game coming against Oregon State, where he caught 3 balls for 48 yards and a score.  While Shuler is an able pass-catcher, his best attribute is his phenomenal blocking ability, some sites rank Shuler among the best blocking tight ends in the country.

Andrew Szczerba followed the opposite route of Mickey Shuler, choosing Penn State from a list of solid scholarship offers after being ranked a 4-star recruit by the major recruiting services.  Still, he enters his redshirt sophomore season looking to make his first meaningful on-the-field contribution for the Lions.  Last year, he burst on to the scene with a really good showing in the Blue/White game, leading all pass catchers with 5 receptions and 65 yards.  Like Quarless, Szczerba is one huge dude, standing a good 6′6, 260 pounds.  He’s got a lot of potential, and will be stepping in next year when both Shuler and Quarless depart.

The Verdict: Andrew Quarless should start because he is the most experienced pass-catcher on the team.  Nobody on the Nittany Lions roster has as many career receptions, and maybe being a featured player in the passing will help keep his head on straight.  That said, I expect Shuler to get significant playing time to help out the young offensive line in the running game.  The tight ends, as a group, will be featured much more in 2009 because of the question marks along the offensive line and at wide receiver.

Next up on position profiles: Cornerback

Releated Posts:

1. The Penn State All-Decade Team: Tight End
2. Position Profile: Cornerbacks
3. Position Profile: Safety
4. Counting Down the Lions: #19
5. Counting Down the Lions: #12