Penn State’s opener against Marshall arrived with a couple of personnel notes worth watching before kickoff at Beaver Stadium.
The biggest one is at tight end, where the Nittany Lions may be asked to lean on their depth early. Veteran Gabe Burkle is not expected to be available as he continues working back from the ACL injury he suffered while playing for Iowa State in 2025. Campbell said Tuesday that Burkle would likely be ready for Penn State’s game against Temple in Philadelphia next Saturday.
Redshirt sophomore tight end Cooper Alexander is also not in pads, which leaves Penn State with veterans Ben Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea at the top of the chart.
If the Lions need more bodies there, former walk-on Finn Furmanek could be part of the answer. The State College Area High School grad has drawn praise from Campbell, who said Tuesday, “The guy that’s probably been the most exciting for me is Finn,” Campbell said on Tuesday.
“Finn Furmanek played a lot of really good football, has gotten a lot of critical reps. He stayed healthy. It was huge to watch his growth and development there.”
Penn State also shifted true freshman Peyton Falzone from quarterback to tight end, and Campbell pointed to the work he’s gotten at the position.
“We’ve talked about Falzone,” Campbell continued.
“He’s kind of been force-fed some critical reps. I do think he’s done a nice job of growing into that position.”
The game total is 53.5 points.
Penn State also will be without second-year edge rusher LaVar Arrington II, who is out with a knee issue. Arrington, the son of Penn State great LaVar Arrington, was not in pads and was using a crutch during pregame warmups.
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Penn States Next Opponent Looks More Vulnerable Than Expected
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The uncertainty does not stop there. Starting right tackle Kevin Terry is a game-time decision for the Penn State game, and Keeler still has not named a starting quarterback, with Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard competing for the job. For Penn State, that makes this a matchup worth watching beyond the final score, because Temple could be piecing together key spots just to get through the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]