Penn State’s tight end room keeps drawing praise, and this summer and fall camp have only added to the buzz around the group Taylor Mouser is building.
Head coach Matt Campbell and Mouser, who also coaches the tight ends, have both spoken highly of the room throughout the summer. That chatter hasn’t cooled once camp started. If anything, it has picked up.
At the top of the depth chart are redshirt senior Gabe Burkle, senior Benjamin Brahmer and redshirt junior Andrew Rappleyea, the trio expected to anchor the 12- and 13-personnel looks Mouser has mapped out for the 2026 season. They bring size, receiving ability and blocking value, and together they were a major part of the offense in 2025, combining for 928 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 83 catches.
But the part that has really stood out in camp is what’s behind them.
Redshirt junior Finn Furmanek, redshirt sophomore Cooper Alexander and former defensive end Bobby Mears have all added to the room’s depth, and Campbell said Furmanek has turned in some of his best practices over the past few days. Mears, a redshirt junior, recently shifted from defense to offense to give the unit even more help. True freshman Peyton Falzone also moved from quarterback to tight end, with Campbell and his staff believing his athleticism and skill set could be useful in a different spot on the field.
“We're excited about where that room, collectively, has the ability to be ... both quarterbacks I think have found those guys to be key pieces so far in the offense,” Campbell told reporters Thursday.
Burkle’s recovery remains part of the picture, too. Campbell said the redshirt senior is on track and noted that individual training sessions have gone well for players working back from injury. He also said Burkle will be brought along gradually rather than pushed too fast.
There’s also a broader vision behind the way this room is being built. Campbell has even worked in a fullback role, and Mears could fit there.
Penn State has been mentioned in “Tight End University” conversations, though Campbell stopped short of calling the program the TEU outright. Still, the way this room has come together could keep that idea gaining traction. If the position changes for Mears and Falzone take hold, the developmental upside becomes even more obvious.
Not every tight end on the roster will be in line for major snaps this season, with that top trio expected to handle most of the workload. But the future matters here, especially after 2026, when Campbell and his staff will need more players to step forward at the position.
That’s why the early progress from the younger group matters. And it’s also why Campbell’s note that “both quarterbacks” - Rocco Becht and Alex Manske - are already developing strong connections with the tight ends feels like more than a camp detail. It suggests the chemistry built now could carry into next season, even if the faces leading the offense change.
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