The weight of being a starter isn't too much for Penn State tight end Brenton Strange

Like a lot of college freshmen, Penn State tight end Brenton Strange dealt with weight issues. But he wasn’t stricken with the “freshman 15.”

No, he packed on roughly 35 pounds.

Because he had to.

Arriving at Penn State in 2019, Strange weighed, by his estimation, “210, 215” pounds.

Today, his 6-foot-3 frame carries a stout 248 pounds.

His secret to success was pretty simple: eating.

“I don’t think I really had a go-to meal,” Strange said during a video conference with media Wednesday. “But I just had to eat more when I was at home. I would skip meals a lot because I wasn’t hungry. I wouldn’t eat a lunch a lot of time. I would eat a breakfast a lot of the time. Just things like that. Staying consistent and always getting your calories in definitely made a difference for me.

“When I go home and I’m around family and stuff, then you’re eating for like two people. It’s what I’ve got to do to keep this weight on me.”

Strange’s dimensions weren’t the only thing that changed for him upon his arrival at Penn State. So did his position.

A wide receiver and linebacker at Parkersburg (W.Va.) High School, Strange is still relatively new to the role of tight end.

“Definitely not playing tight end in high school and making the transition to college was big for me,” he said. “I really didn’t know how to run block. … I would be doing too much at some times. I really had to lock in and learn what to do, how to do. Know my what, know my why, know my how. Once I learned that, it became a lot easier for me, and I felt like I could play full speed.”

Today, barely two years into his collegiate career and a new position, Strange is Penn State’s starting tight end thanks in part to the absence of Pat Freiermuth, an All-American who will miss the remainder of the season because of an undisclosed injury he suffered earlier this month.

Strange’s first game as a starter was Saturday in a 41-21 loss to Iowa at Beaver Stadium. He had three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. He will be in the starting lineup when Penn State travels to Michigan for a noon kickoff Saturday.

“I was definitely hurt because Pat is family to me,” said Strange, who has six receptions for 61 yards this season. “Obviously, I was nervous for a while. But I knew I had prepared for this. This is something I’ve been preparing for my whole entire life. As soon as the first play was over, the nerves kind of went away.”

Given his relative inexperience at the position, Strange admitted his confidence as a tight end did not emerge until a few months ago.

“I’d definitely say in camp this year,” Strange said. “I felt I had grown a lot as a player, as a person. Gained a lot more knowledge about the game of football. I just knew how to play the tight end position a lot better. And I knew what to look for in the running game, the pass game, just stuff like that. Probably this summer.”

If he truly is to replace Freiermuth, Strange, now a redshirt freshman, realizes he needs to be a presence on and off the field.

“I definitely do feel I need to embrace the role of being a leader in our room right now, especially me being the oldest (tight end), not counting (sophomore Zack Kuntz),” Strange said. “Lead by example to the young guys, and, just whatever they need, me and Kuntz will be there to help them.”