Late on Sunday, Penn State football extended a four-star prospect out of Oklahoma an offer in hopes of landing a top 20 tight end from the Class of 2027. Head coach Matt Campbell's luck with the class of soon-to-be high school seniors hasn't panned out in his favor, but family connections give the Nittany Lions a good shot with this latest recruit.
This prediction for Michigan should leave Penn State fans uneasy for Week 7 in 2026
Ben Kolar, the No 297 recruit from the Class of 2027 and No. 19 tight end, per 247Sports Composite rankings, announced that Penn State extended him an offer late on Sunday, Feb. 17. He is also the No. 7 recruit from Oklahoma.
The Norman, Okla. native finished his junior season on varsity with 44 receptions for 622 yards and eight touchdowns over nine games, according to his MaxPreps reported stats. While he's recruited as a tight end, Kolar also has experience on defense, registering 49 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and two quarterback hurries in 2025 over the nine contests.
The Nittany Lions are the most recent program that offered Kolar. Other Big Ten schools interested in the tight end are Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, and Northwestern. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Miami, Arizona, and Oklahoma are other schools that extended him offers as well.
While no predictions are logged and Kolar has not yet announced his top schools, Penn State has an advantage over the others: a family connection.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar, who was a fourth-round pick of the NFL 2022 Draft that went 128th overall to the Ravens, is an Iowa State alum. The six-foot-six-inch and 265-pound NFL tight end played under Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser — both of whom are in Happy Valley — from 2018-21.
Throughout his career as a Cyclone, Charlie Kolar earned recognition as a Second and Third Team All-American and was a Mackey Award Finalist in 2020 and 2021. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2019. Charlie Kolar had 168 catches for 2,181 yards and 23 touchdowns over his career at Iowa State all-time. As a senior, he registered 62 receptions for 756 yards and six scores.
This family connection, especially given the success his brother had at Iowa State with Campvell and Mouser, is a great selling point for the Nittany Lions in hopes of landing Ben Kolar. In addition to having coached his sibling to the NFL level, Campbell has a good tight end room heading into the 2026 season with Benjamin Brahmer, Andrew Rappleyea, and Gabe Burkle leading the group.