Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T I G H T E N D S / / / / / / / the Cyclone Report, described him as "a big pickup" for Penn State, perhaps sec- ond only to redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht in importance among the Iowa State players making the trek to State College. "He's someone that Rocco has a rapport with," Seals said. "He's got great size, pretty decent speed. He can go up and make the contested catches. Mouser loves him, too. He loves the tight ends in his offense." That feeling is mutual. Brahmer said the op- portunity to team up again with Mouser, who doubles as tight ends coach, was one of Penn State's biggest selling points. "He's just a fun guy to be around and a fun guy to play for," Brahmer said. "It keeps you on your toes. You never know what he's going to do. You never know what the whole game plan is going to be. We're going to be very detailed, but we're also going to have a lot of fun out there." Brahmer is the son of a football coach. Mark Brahmer was in charge of the Pierce (Neb.) High team for 28 years and led the Bluejays to nine appearances in the state title game and four championships be- fore stepping down in 2023. The younger Brahmer was a player on the last of those title-winning teams, totaling 1,525 receiv- ing yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior on a squad that captured the Class C1 state title in 2022. A three-star prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking, as well as the No. 32 tight end nationally and No. 4 player in his home state, Brahmer picked Iowa State over Nebraska and went on to make an immediate impact with the Cyclones. He played in all 13 games as a true fresh- man with two starts, earning Freshman All-America honors from multiple media outlets along with honorable mention All-Big 12 notice after catching 28 passes for 352 yards and 2 touchdowns. An injury shortened his sophomore season, but he still posted 10 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. The 2025 campaign was Brahmer's most produc- tive. He finished with 37 catches for 446 yards and 6 touchdowns, topping the team in both receptions and TDs and ranking third in yardage behind receivers Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell, both of whom are now at Penn State. Brahmer was listed by On3 as the No. 1 tight end and No. 37 overall prospect in the transfer portal this year. Mouser cited his versatility as one of the reasons why he has emerged as one of the top players in the country at his position. "He's a guy who can really put de- fenses in a tough spot with how they're going to set their personnel," Mouser said. "We can use him as a wideout, we can use him as a tight end." Brahmer is now part of a tight end corps that features three former Cy- clones — redshirt senior Gabe Burkle and redshirt sophomore Cooper Alexander are the others — and three holdovers from last year's Penn State team. The Nittany Lions are a blended family this season, but Brahmer said the chemistry has been positive. "I think all the guys here that stayed are really good guys. Coach Campbell kept the really good guys," he said this spring. "We'll just keep growing together and go- ing through workouts together. The only way to grow together is to work together. I think that's going to come in time, and it's going to be a great season." ■ "He's a guy who can really put defenses in a tough spot with how they're going to set their personnel. We can use him as a wideout, we can use him as a tight end." O F F E N S I V E C O O R D I N A T O R T A Y L O R M O U S E R O N B R A H M E R 2025 vs. 2026 Stock Up Or Down This stock is way up. Senior Benjamin Brahmer, a second-team All-Big 12 performer and Mackey Award semifinalist at Iowa State in 2025, was one of the most significant of Penn State's transfer portal additions. Another former Cyclone, redshirt senior Gabe Burkle, also figures to make a significant impact after catching 26 passes for 302 yards in an injury-shortened junior season. And the new arrivals are joined by a key returnee in redshirt junior Andrew Rappleyea, who came on strong late last year. The Penn State tight end corps wasn't as productive as hoped in 2025, with four play- ers combining to catch 61 passes for 623 yards and 6 touchdowns. Of those four, Rapple- yea is the only returnee. This room has undergone an extensive rebuild, and the result should be a strong campaign in 2026. X-Factor How often will Penn State deploy 12-personnel looks this fall? The early evidence sug- gests that such looks, which feature one running back and two tight ends, will be a major part of the offensive scheme. It makes sense, given that Iowa State often used Brahmer as another wide receiver. Brahmer and Rappleyea are two of the offense's best players, and the Nittany Lions would do well to find ways of maxing out their contributions. Freshman Outlook The Nittany Lions didn't sign any tight ends in their 2026 recruiting class and have only one player with freshman eligibility at the position group. That player is Brian Kortovich, a former three-star prospect from Willoughby, Ohio. Kortovich didn't see game action in 2025 and will be expected to supply depth as a redshirt freshman this fall while awaiting his chance for a bigger role in 2027 when Brahmer and Burkle will have moved on. Quick Facts Position coach: Taylor Mouser (first season) Returning starter: Andrew Rappleyea (9 career starts) Departing starter: Khalil Dinkins (15 career starts) Projected new starter: Benjamin Brah- mer Top reserves: Cooper Alexander, Gabe Burkle, Finn Furmanek, Brian Kortovich Newcomers: Alexander, Brahmer, Burkle