Penn State’s tight end pipeline keeps humming, and Andrew Rappleyea looks like the next name ready to carry that tradition.
Even after a spring kept him off the field with an injury, Rappleyea was back at Penn State’s Lift For Life event and is expected to be healthy for the season. For a program that has turned tight end into a real calling card, that matters. Four Penn State tight ends have been drafted to the NFL since 2021, including Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange and Pat Freiermuth in the first two rounds, and Rappleyea is the likeliest homegrown candidate to follow that path next.
Rappleyea arrived in 2023 as a highly regarded recruit for former position coach Ty Howle. He came in as a 4-star prospect, ranked the sixth-best tight end in his class, the No. 3 player in Massachusetts and No. 128 overall in the nation by the 247Sports Composite.
He’s since carved out a real role, even if the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. Last season, Rappleyea was one of Penn State’s stronger blockers and a key player on important downs.
He also had a pair of moments that stood out under former interim head coach Terry Smith, catching a 53-yard touchdown against Rutgers and scoring against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. He finished 2025 with 20 receptions for 180 yards.
Now the challenge - and the opportunity - is bigger. Penn State brought in major help at the position, led by 247Sports’ top-rated tight end transfer Ben Brahmer, who checked in as the 30th overall player in the portal.
Brahmer joins Gabe Burkle and Cooper Alexander, all from Iowa State, in a crowded room. Even so, Rappleyea’s standing inside the program remains strong.
Matt Campbell said Penn State intends to keep the standard at tight end as high as ever.
"We'll work really hard to continue that lineage of success here," Campbell said. "That's something that we believe in, all the way back to our days at Toledo.
We've been fortunate to have great tight ends in our offense. And obviously with the history of this place, you hope any great tight end would want to be a part of what we have going on here."
Campbell also pointed to the depth around Rappleyea, noting Gabe Burkle, Brahmer, Finn Furmanek, Cooper Alexander and Brian Kortovich as part of a strong group. Taylor Mouser, who coaches tight ends, has been just as direct about Rappleyea’s value, calling him “one of our better guys” on the team.
Smith, now back as Penn State’s associate head coach, said the staff wanted to keep one tight end from last season’s group. That made Rappleyea the priority after Khalil Dinkins went to the NFL and Luke Reynolds followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech.
The injuries have been the main obstacle. Rappleyea has played in just 17 games across his three-year Penn State career and missed the 2024 season with a long-term injury.
He also sat out spring drills this year. But the mindset hasn’t changed.
"There were definitely days where, watching Luke [Reynolds], Khalil [Dinkins] and Ty go out there and play and do their thing while I was still having my process ,was definitely tough," Rappleyea said last season. "It just got to the point of knowing that, when I get back, I’m going to be a contributor. That’s not given, but I knew in my heart that I was going to come back and be as good or better than I was before."
With his blocking, his growing red-zone role and the trust he’s built with Campbell and Mouser, Rappleyea is positioned to be a major piece this season. He became more of a factor near the goal line late in 2025, and that usage could continue alongside Brahmer.
In Other News...
Nations Top Running Back Just Delivered Another Recruiting Gut Punch
Penn States recruiting board took another hit this week when Kemon Spell, the nations top-ranked running back in the 2027 class, changed course on his pledge. Spell had been one of the biggest names tied to the Nittany Lions future, and his move stood out enough to be labeled by Rivals analysts as the most significant flip of the cycle so far.
For Penn State, the timing only adds to the frustration around a recruiting race that is still very much in motion. High-profile prospects such as AiKing Hall, Jaiden Bryant and Donte Wright have also been on the move, and several other top players remain caught in the middle of multiple programs pushing for late changes before the cycle settles. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Won A Massive Western Pennsylvania QB Battle
Western Pennsylvania quarterbacks have a way of carrying extra weight in Happy Valley, and James Bobo Armstrong fits that mold. The Hopewell standout is a four-star recruit in the Class of 2028, rated among the top passers in the country by 247Sports, and he comes with the kind of local profile Penn State has spent years trying to hold close to home.
Armstrong had no shortage of national attention, with major programs from around the country in the mix, but his pull in Pennsylvania made this one feel especially significant for the Nittany Lions. His latest season showed the full range of what he brings to the table, and his name has already started surfacing in conversations about the next wave of Western Pennsylvania quarterbacks. [Read more 🡒]