Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 3 3 RETURNING STARTER None OTHER RETURNEES Andrew Rappleyea | R-Jr. One of the first players to announce that he would be returning to the Nit- tany Lions in 2026, Rappleyea enjoyed a late-season surge after Terry Smith took over as the team's interim head coach. After totaling 10 catches for 83 yards in the Lions' first 10 games, the 6-foot-4, 252-pounder doubled his output in the final three, amassing 10 for 97 yards and 3 touchdowns against Nebraska, Rutgers and Clemson. Finn Furmanek | R-Jr. Furmanek was put on scholarship by new head coach Matt Campbell thanks to his outstanding work on special teams. A 6-3, 255-pounder from State College, he probably won't factor into the tight end picture this fall, but he brings a lot of value to the program in other ways. Brian Kortovich | R-Fr. A four-star recruit from Willoughby, Ohio, the 6-4, 250-pound Kortovich will look to see his first game action in 2026 after redshirting this past season. He was On3's No. 16 tight end and No. 247 overall prospect in the 2025 class. NEWCOMERS Cooper Alexander | R-So. Listed at 6-4, 245 pounds, Alexan- der saw action in 11 games as a redshirt freshman at Iowa State, totaling 5 catches for 47 yards. A three-star prospect from Washington (Okla.) High, Alexander suf- fered a season-ending injury as a true freshman and played in only one game, the Cyclones' season opener against North Dakota. Benjamin Brahmer | Sr. The 6-7, 255-pound Brahmer comes to Penn State after three productive seasons at Iowa State. A second-team All-Big 12 pick by the league's coaches in 2025, he led the Cyclones with 37 catches and 6 touchdown receptions while totaling 446 yards. He also earned an honorable mention all-conference nod as a sopho- more despite an injury that limited him to eight games, during which he made 10 catches for 179 yards and a TD. Brahmer was named a first-team Freshman All- American by The Athletic in 2023 after amassing 28 catches for 352 yards and 2 scores. His yardage total was the highest ever by an Iowa State freshman tight end and the sixth-highest by a first-year Cy- clone at any position. Gabe Burkle | R-Sr. Burkle spent his first four college sea- sons at Iowa State. A two-year starter, he was in the midst of his best season sta- tistically in 2025 before it was cut short after nine games due to a leg injury that required surgery. Before getting hurt, the 6-6, 255-pounder started seven contests and tallied 26 receptions for 302 yards and 9 touchdowns. For his career as a Cyclone, he caught 54 passes for 607 yards and 2 scores. 2026 LOOK AHEAD TIGHT END 2026 Outlook Penn State is overhauling this room, starting with the position coach. The Nittany Lions' new offensive coordina- tor, Taylor Mouser, will also oversee the tight ends. He was FootballScoop. com's 2025 Tight Ends Coach of the Year and will be assisted by key analyst Sam Seonbuchner, who is also making the move from Ames to State College. The duo, like many of their peers on Campbell's first staff, will be tasked with blending a trio of returnees with Iowa State newcomers. The Nittany Lions will be without last season's snap leader at the posi- tion, Khalil Dinkins, who exhausted his eligibility. In addition, Luke Reynolds is joining James Franklin and former PSU tight ends coach Ty Howle at Virginia Tech after totaling 35 catches for 368 yards and 1 TD in two seasons with the Lions. Matt Henderson, a 2025 signee who did not play during his lone season in State College, is also off to Blacks- burg, veteran backup Joey Schlaffer will be looking for playing time at Temple, and five-star prospect Andrew Olesh is headed to Oregon where he will be a redshirt freshman next fall. Those departures have cleared the way for Andrew Rappleyea and Benjamin Brahmer to figure prominently in an offense that is expected to use plenty of "12 personnel" looks with two tight ends on the field at the same time. Gabe Burkle, Cooper Alexander and Brian Kor- tovich should provide solid depth. — Greg Pickel Andrew Rappleyea came on strong at the end of his redshirt sophomore season, totaling 10 catches for 97 yards and 3 touchdowns in Penn State's final three games. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Lions Look To Blend Newcomers With Returning Talent