Penn State football tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle have been named to the John Mackey Award watch list on Wednesday.

Both transferred from Iowa State with new head coach Matt Campbell this offseason.

Mackey Award Watch List

Presented annually to the Best Tight End in College Football@BenjaminBrahmer | @GabeBurkle pic.twitter.com/ww9ztvk5Aq

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 5, 2026

Brahmer, in his fourth year of eligibility, is coming off a season in which he was voted Second-Team All-Big 12 and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award.

The 6-foot-7, 250-pounder caught 37 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns last season and holds 75 receptions for 977 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.

Brahmer transferred from Iowa State to Happy Valley in January, marking a huge get for Penn State following the departures of Luke Reynolds and Andrew Olesh to Virginia Tech and Oregon, respectively.

Gabe Burkle was another former Cyclone the Nittany Lions brought in from the portal, after he recorded 302 yards on 26 receptions and one touchdown.

Burkle is one of the more consistent tight ends in the country, recording at least one catch in each of his last 16 games of college football.

The John Mackey Award, which is named after NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, is presented annually to the top tight end in college football.

Mackey played 10 seasons in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl five times, an All-NFL team three times, and the NFL’s All-Decade Team.

Tyler Warren won the award in 2024 after an excellent season with the Nittany Lions.