The Penn State Nittany Lions kicked off the Matt Campbell era in emphatic fashion this past weekend, rolling to a 45-0 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd.

The Penn State passing attack was dominant, with Iowa State transfer quarterback Rocco Becht completing 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Wide receiver Koby Howard stole the show, hauling in 6 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. As a whole, the Nittany Lions completed 20 of 27 passes for 324 yards in the 2026 college football season opener.

One part of the passing game that did not make a huge impact despite some preseason hype was the tight end position.

The group combined for just 2 total receptions. Andrew Rappleyea, who returns for Penn State, had 1 reception for 18 yards, while Iowa State transfer Benjamin Brahmer had just 1 reception for 8 yards, although it did go for a touchdown.

That quiet debut should not cause any panic.

Anyone familiar with how Campbell and his coaching staff have utilized the tight end position in the past knows that usage should start climbing in a big way. It was positive to see multiple wide receivers making plays for Becht, but he has been a quarterback who leaned on the tight end position heavily throughout his career.

Brahmer was especially a huge target for him last season, hauling in 37 receptions for 446 yards and 6 touchdown passes for the Cyclones. Penn State simply did not need a massive contribution from the 6-7, 250-pound pass catcher in a blowout, but he should offer a lot more upside as the schedule progresses.

Gabe Burkle’s return could unlock Penn State’s tight end room

Penn State should also be welcoming back Gabe Burkle at some point soon. Burkle transferred over from Iowa State this past offseason and gives the Nittany Lions the potential for a 3 tight end group with tremendous upside and mismatch potential. Burkle has been recovering from an ACL tear suffered last season but was seen warming up before the Marshall contest and should be back sometime over the next few weeks.

When Burkle does return, expect Penn State to deploy a whole lot more 12 and 13 personnel in its offensive attack. Campbell and his staff need to be able to utilize the tight end room as a new dimension for Becht. The connection between the quarterback and his tight ends was a staple at Iowa State, and there is no reason to believe it won’t carry over to Happy Valley.

For this team to make real strides in the Big Ten this season, that tight end group will need to be counted upon heavily in both the run and passing game. Seeing how much that usage upticks over the next several weeks, especially as the competition level improves, is something worth keeping a very close eye on.