Kuntz wants to be factor at tight end
He could complement All-American Freiermuth
There is no shortage of confidence throughout the Penn State football program. The top-end talent on the roster alone could be enough for the Nittany Lions to finally break into the College Football Playoff.
Teams that get to that promised land tend to have several players ready to step up when other good athletes leave the program. Last year at tight end, Nick Bowers provided a second option to AllAmerican Pat Freiermuth. With Bowers now in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s next man up for the Nittany Lions.
Redshirt sophomore Zack Kuntz leads a group with freshmen Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren and sophomore Brenton Strange that is looking to give Freiermuth a helping hand. One of them will line up opposite Freiermuth when the team runs two-tight end sets under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca.
Kuntz is smart enough to read the room when it comes to his fellow tight ends on campus.
“I think we’re the most talented tight end room in the country,” Kuntz said recently via a Zoom conference call. “There’s no doubt in my mind about that. We have a lot of talent.”
He knows that his game will have to stay sharp if he’s going to get the touches he wants. Kuntz is confident in the group’s strength, but he also believes that he’s ready to step up.
“I’m happy with where I’m at,” Kuntz said. “I mean, everyone wishes they could do a little better and find some things to improve upon, but from a football perspective, I wish I could play a little more, but other players in my room have shown that they can perform consistently.”
Kuntz didn’t do a lot of blocking at
Camp Hill High School. He was more like a fifth receiver who happened to be 6 feet 7 and 220 pounds. Kuntz showed extraordinary athleticism in high school (he was a state champion 110-meter hurdler) but that hasn’t fully translated to the college game. The lack of blocking skills have held him back, but Kuntz is ready to change the negative perception.
“It was very different for me coming out of high school because I was a glorified wide receiver more than a true tight end,” Kuntz said. “But I feel like the position has transformed a little bit from just a nose-in-the-dirt player. It’s more of an athletic receiver type. During my freshman year, when I first got here, it helped me humble myself. I learned a lot, and I think a redshirt year was great for me.”
Kuntz used the break caused by COVID-19 to add an extra 25 pounds of mass. He’s hoping the extra bulk while getting faster and able to jump higher will elevate him as a red-zone target for quarterback Sean Clifford.
“It’s my job to improve upon my own game,” Kuntz said. “If I keep improving, then I can earn that trust from the other players and my coaches so that I can have that opportunity.”
Kuntz and Freiermuth came to Penn State in the same class with high hopes. Freiermuth has lived up to the expectations. Kuntz and the Nittany Lions hopes that he’s ready to meet Freiermuth at the top.
“When we were coming out of high school, we talked about being a dynamic duo, and I think now’s a perfect opportunity to display that,” Kuntz said. “Pat has shown what he can do, and he can do even more.
“I think it’s my time to show what I am made of and what I’m capable of doing.”