For the better part of two decades – longer than that, for sure, just so the old heads don’t start yelling at me – Penn State has churned out tight ends at the highest level.
Jesse James, Mike Gesicki, Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson, and Tyler Warren continued a nearly continuous run of NFL-level talent in the Blue and White.
The tight ends featured prominently in 2025, with Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea splitting time at TE. Reynolds snagged 26 passes for 247 yards, and ran the
ball twice more for an additional 26 yards, but did not find the endzone. Rapp caught 20 passes for 180 yards and 3 TDs.
Neither of the tight ends came close to replicating the 2024 performance of Tyler Warren, but as the Penn State offense continued to operate in fits and starts, especially in the passing game, it’s no surprise that the TEs didn’t pop off the stat sheet.
With the coaching turnover, Luke Reynolds departed for Virginia Tech, following James Franklin, while Rappleyea stayed put. In comes Benjamin Brahmer from Iowa State, one of the most highly sought after tight ends in the transfer portal this go around.
In 2025, in new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s scheme, Brahmer caught the ball 37 times for 446 yards and 6 TDs. Pairing Brahmer up with Rappleyea is one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches at TE across the entire country.
But all of this begs the question – will Brahmer be the next Penn State tight end who is sought after in the NFL Draft next year? Brahmer is a senior, and while there are still plenty of discussions on college eligibility, it would not surprise me if he headed for the Draft – will he carry the torch that Warren and others have carried before?
If not, will Rappleyea be the one to do it, potentially a year later? A redshirt junior, it’s entirely possible that Rapp heads to the league with a big 2026 season, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes a year to learn the Mouser system, pops off in 2027, and then heads to the bigs.
But what do you think? Will Penn State continue its tradition of outstanding tight end play, and put some players in the league?
