Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 5 3 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 / / / / / / / PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Taylor Mouser: Mouser has taken over this position group after Ty Howle opted to follow James Franklin to Virginia Tech. His name was one of the first to come up when observers began speculating about which Iowa State coaches might follow Matt Campbell to State College. A native of Chandler, Ariz., he rose through the coaching ranks in his 10 seasons at Iowa State after following Campbell from To- ledo as a graduate assistant in 2015. Mouser served as a grad assistant in Campbell's first season with the Cyclones before shifting into an ana- lyst role from 2017-20. He got his first shot as a position coach in 2021, when Campbell put him in charge of the Cy- clones' tight ends. He held that role for three seasons, adding an assistant head coach title in 2023 and becoming offen- sive coordinator the following year after Nate Scheelhaase left to join the Los Angeles Rams' staff. Mouser was named Tight Ends Coach of the Year by Foot- ballScoop.com in 2025 after his players combined for 913 receiving yards and 7 touch- downs on 76 catches. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS FINN FURMANEK R-Jr. | 6-3 | 251 • Was put on scholarship by Campbell this spring after ar- riving at Penn State in 2023 as a walk-on. • Played in 17 games the past two seasons, primarily on special teams. • Won the coaching staff's Developmental Squad Special Teams Player of the Week honor ahead of the Indiana and Michigan games in 2023. • Was a two-sport standout at State College Area High, excelling as a quarterback for the Little Lions while also let- tering in basketball. BRIAN KORTOVICH R-Fr. | 6-4 | 241 • Will look to see his first game action this fall after redshirt- ing as a true freshman in 2015. • Finished his career at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High in Cleveland with 1,432 re- ceiving yards and 23 touchdowns. • Received a four-star grade from On3 and was the No. 16 tight end and No. 247 overall prospect nationally, as well as the No. 11 player in Ohio. ANDREW RAPPLEYEA R-Jr. | 6-4 | 242 • Was one of the first players to announce that he would be returning to the Nit- tany Lions in 2026 but was slowed by an undisclosed injury this spring. • Finished the 2025 season with 20 catches for 180 yards and 3 scores. • Played only 37 snaps as a redshirt fresh- man — all in Penn State's season opener against West Virginia — due to an injury. • Saw action in three games during his first year at Penn State, retaining his freshman eligibility. • Was a four-star recruit in the Rivals In- dustry Ranking and the No. 3 tight end in the class of 2023. • Earned team MVP honors at Milton (Mass.) Academy in 2022. • Caught 23 passes for 499 yards and 6 touchdowns as a senior. NEWCOMERS COOPER ALEXANDER R-So. | 6-4 | 241 • Saw action in 11 games as a redshirt freshman at Iowa State, totaling 5 catches for 47 yards. • Suffered a season-ending injury as a true freshman and played in only one game, the Cyclones' season opener against North Dakota. • Was a consensus three-star prospect in the 2024 class from Washington (Okla.) High. BENJAMIN BRAHMER Sr. | 6-7 | 250 • Was a second-team All-Big 12 pick by the league's coaches in 2025 after lead- ing the Cyclones with 37 catches and 6 touchdown receptions while totaling 446 yards. • Earned an honorable mention all-con- ference nod as a sophomore despite an injury that limited him to eight games, during which he made 10 catches for 179 yards and a TD. • Was named a first-team Freshman All- American by The Athletic in 2023 after amassing 28 catches for 352 yards and 2 scores. • Posted the highest yardage total ever by an Iowa State freshman tight end and the sixth-highest by a first-year Cyclone at any position. • Was a three-star prospect in the 2023 cycle, per On3, after playing for his fa- ther, Mark, at Pierce (Neb.) High. GABE BURKLE R-Sr. | 6-6 | 247 • Was a two-year starter at Iowa State and 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. • Started seven contests last year, tallying 26 receptions for 302 yards and 9 touch- downs before his injury. • Finished his four-year career at Iowa State with 54 catches for 607 yards and 2 touchdowns. • Was listed as a three-star prospect by On3 in the 2022 recruiting cycle coming out of Prairie High in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Iowa State transfer Gabe Burkle had his 2025 season cut short by a leg injury but still finished with 26 receptions for 302 yards and 9 scores. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA STATE ATHLETICS