Penn State football's tight end room is loaded with talent that head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser are eager to use to their advantage.
Most teams in the college football use an 11 personnel grouping, but that's not Campbell's plan for Penn State in 2026.
Returning Nittany Lion Andrew Rappleyea (6-foot-4, 242 pounds) and Iowa State transfers, Benjamin Brahmer (6-7, 250) and Gabe Burkle (6-6, 247), are big-bodied tight ends who can come up big for Penn State both in the pass game and blocking in the trenches. Not using a combination of the three — or even all three — would be a disservice to that room's versatility.
Campbell wants to take advantage of that talent, and having as many of them on the field as is reasonable given the situation is the direction he and Mouser want for this offense. So, when asked about personnel groupings and specifically how often he wants to use 12 personnel, Campbell said the Nittany Lions would be disappointed if it's not "home base" for them.
Matt Campbell on if it's Penn State's plan to have 12 personnel (two tight ends) as its "home base" this season: "I think we’d be disappointed if it’s not."
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) August 7, 2026
Tight End University isn't going away anytime soon under Matt Campbell
That 12 personnel grouping will be massive for the Nittany Lions, especially for an offensive line that underwent a reload in the offseason. Brahmer and Rappleyea will more than likely be those two tight ends on the field until further notice, and both are strong pass catchers too. This should be Penn State's "home base" in 2026 with players that can add that extra force in the trenches while providing quarterback Rocco Becht with more versatility offensively.
Burkle is also expected to be back in September, so right now, it's Rappleyea and Brahmer leading the charge during fall camp. Depending on Burkle's recovery from injury, getting him back as soon as possible opens up a new level of offense for Penn State.
We've seen the NFL start trending towards more 13 personnel grouping across the league, but it's less common in college football to see three tight ends out on the field at the same time.
The wide receiver room is slowly finding its identity, but the tight end room is more of a guarantee, though that can change come Week 1. Earlier in the season, the Brahmer-Rappleyea-Burkle trio will likely be a key part of getting the most production out of the wide receivers. While being strong blockers, too, that trio is still a huge threat in the pass game.
For opposing defenses, that will be a lot trickier to overcome having that many threats in that many areas of the game. So, once Burkle is back, a 13 personnel grouping won't be a shock to see from the Nittany Lions.
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