The Penn State Nittany Lions are expected to bag this star Big 12 weapon in the transfer portal.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are under new management, as Matt Campbell has taken over as head coach. And with that, major changes are expected this offseason.
Campbell had spent the last 10 years coaching Iowa State, so as you would expect, many Cyclones players have decided to enter the transfer portal.
With Penn State looking to plug some holes itself, Campbell may turn to some of his former Iowa State talents to beef up the Nittany Lions' roster, and Pete Nakos of On 3 is projecting that Penn State will land ex-Cyclones tight end Benjamin Brahmer in the portal.
Brahmer spent the first three seasons of his career at Iowa State and hauled in 37 receptions for 446 yards and six touchdowns this year.
The 6-foot-7, 255-pound behemoth enjoyed a strong freshman campaign in 2023, catching 28 passes for 352 yards and a couple of scores. He took a big step back with just 10 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown in 2024 before re-establishing himself as a big-time threat this season.
Penn State actually already has a couple of intriguing tight ends in Luke Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea, with the former being a sophomore and the latter being a redshirt sophomore in 2025.
Benjamin Brahmer. Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images.However, the Nittany Lions could always use more playmakers, especially with top wide receivers Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross and Kyron Ware-Hudson all on their way out.
Campbell has familiarity with Brahmer, so the fit makes sense, and Penn State will need to add as many weapons as possible for whoever will be playing quarterback in 2026 (and it's looking more and more like it will be Ethan Grunkemeyer).
The Nittany Lions may choose to explore the possibility of adding multiple Iowa State players that have decided to enter the transfer portal, such as quarterback Rocco Becht and running back Carson Hansen (Hansen in particular would be intriguing).
The portal will officially open on Jan. 2, so we will see how quickly Campbell gets to work on luring some of his former players to Happy Valley.
Campbell went 72-55 throughout his decade-long tenure with the Cyclones, his best year coming in 2024 when he guided Iowa State to 11 wins and a victory over Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl.