At Penn State, an Under-the-Radar Tight End Could Become a Star

Penn State football fans haven't seen much of tight end Gabe Burkle, who spent his first six months in State College continuing to rehab from a November 2025 ACL tear. But he might be one of the most unsung players on the Nittany Lions' roster.

Penn State coach Matt Campbell called Burkle "critically important" to the
Nittany Lions' 2026 offense, which will play no fewer than four tight ends. In fact, Campbell wouldn't mind having at least one more. But Burkle's healthy return represents a huge component for an offense that will rely on the position as much as any team in the country.

"I would say he's critically important [to Penn State's 2026 offense] and has been critically important to our success," Campbell said.

Campbell said that Burkle is on a short list of key players (with safety Jeremiah Cooper and linebacker Alex Tatsch) who will begin training camp cleared but limited. Penn State is targeting Cooper and Burkle's returns specifically for at least Game 2 at Temple.

In 2024, Burkle took over for starter Ben Brahmer (who was injured) in Iowa State's lineup and broke loose with a 26-catch performance over eight starts. That propelled him into 2025. Burkle was having the best season of his career when he sustained the injury Nov. 8 against TCU.

He had matched his career-high of 26 receptions and was a strong supplement to Brahmer. In fact, he surpassed Brahmer with one key skill set.

"If you really study Iowa State and you study Gabe Burkle, that guy was the best blocking tight end in the country, the best off-the-ball tight end [in the country]," Campbell said. "I also think he became a real factor for us in the passing game. He's a guy that's got great hands. He's elite at the top of the route.

"He can certainly be a guy that, whether it's over the middle or vertically down the field, is a real asset."

Iowa State Cyclones tight end Gabe Burkle (84) is helped off the field during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs. — Iowa State Cyclones tight end Gabe Burkle (84) is helped off the field during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burkle was among several Penn State tight ends who were limited last spring, though Campbell still has high expectations for the position group. In particular, the head coach believes Burkle, a 6-6 redshirt senior, will be a high-impact player when he returns.

"He's a huge piece of our success, because I think when you have a tight end like that, and you know what great tight ends look like here at Penn State, you have the ability to extend gaps and create gaps, help in pass protection and be an outlet in the passing game," Campbell said. "Those are huge assets. And Gabe is certainly one of those."

Campbell called tight end the best position group on Penn State's roster and one that he wants to continue making a cornerstone of the offense. Campbell isn't shy about calling Brahmer the best tight end in the country, saying that was true even in 2024, when Penn State's Tyler Warren won the Mackey Award and placed seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

There's more than depth here. In Brahmer, Burkle and Andrew Rappleyea, who the coach said is in a "great spot" after missing spring drills, Penn State has a trio of tight ends who, when healthy, could start across the Big Ten. Campbell also is eager to see what redshirt sophomore Cooper Alexander, another Iowa State transfer, can do in the offense.

"Top to bottom, that's a really special room right now," Campbell said. "When you have Rap, you have Gabe and you have Ben at the top of it, and then you have Cooper Alexander as a really talented young football player that's coming in, and Finn [Furmanek], that's a room that we feel really good about.

"And selfishly, I'd like to have one more. I'd like to have as many [tight ends] as we can. We're coming from a place where we're used to having eight or nine scholarship tight ends. So we'll continue to build the equity of that room, just because I think it's really important, whether it's on special teams or just how you play a football game. I think those things are really important for us."

Penn State opens training camp Aug. 5, one month before the season-opener against Marshall on Sept. 5 at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State’s Matt Campbell introduces you to Bill Brasky, aka tight end Ben Brahmer. He’s 6-7, runs “almost 22 mph” and competed in 7 events at his state track meet. pic.twitter.com/g2hqmT7yGi
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) July 29, 2026

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