Benjamin Brahmer
Penn State#160 overallScouting Report
Benjamin Brahmer is a towering fourth-year tight end who followed head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State for 2026, arriving as one of the more complete players at the position in the 2027 class. At 6'7" and 252 pounds out of Pierce, Nebraska, he gives a quarterback a target no defensive back can realistically contest, and Draft Countdown frames that frame as a natural advantage on contested throws and a high-upside weapon once the field shortens inside the red zone. The production started early: as a true freshman in 2023 he caught 28 passes for 352 yards, finishing second on the Iowa State roster in receptions and third in receiving yards, which is rare trust for a first-year tight end. An injury-shortened 2024 cost him five games, but he averaged 17.9 yards a catch on the ten balls he did get, and in 2025 he set career highs with 37 receptions, 446 yards and six touchdowns as the scoring role expanded. All Access Football ranks him fourth among draft-eligible tight ends behind Trey'Dez Green, Jamari Johnson and Terrence Carter, and credits him as both a capable pass catcher and a stout blocker rather than a one-dimensional slot body, the combination that makes him a true every-down projection. Penn State brought over his Iowa State teammate Gabe Burkle as well, so Brahmer will have to win the pass-catching snaps in a room with a dedicated inline blocker beside him. The development question is physical, not conceptual: Draft Countdown points at functional strength and inline blocking consistency as the areas that have to hold up against Big Ten defensive ends. Paul Perdichizzi of Saturday2Sunday has carried him through the summer tight end rankings and into the in-season stock reports, and Dane Brugler of The Athletic discussed him among the top 2027 tight ends before the season, so the evaluation community is already on him. If the Big Ten tape confirms the blocking, the size and the scoring arc make him a early-round tight end conversation.
NFL Comparison
Mike Gesicki-style matchup size with a more willing blocking base; red zone usage profiles closer to Darren Waller than a pure seam runner
Draft Movement
Down 6 spots since Jun 8
Strengths
- Elite size at 6'7" and 252 pounds gives him a frame no defensive back can play over on contested throws
- Natural red zone weapon, six touchdowns in 2025 after three combined in his first two years
- Reliable hands shown as a true freshman, second on Iowa State in receptions and third in receiving yards in 2023
- Big-play efficiency on limited volume, 17.9 yards per catch across eight games in 2024
- Graded a stout blocker as well as a pass catcher, which All Access Football calls one of the more polished overall profiles at the position
- Scheme and coaching continuity, he followed Matt Campbell from Ames to Penn State rather than learning a new system cold
- Three-year production base, 75 catches for 977 yards and nine scores over 33 games
- Ranked fourth among 2027 draft-eligible tight ends by All Access Football and covered in Dane Brugler's early top-tight-end discussion
Weaknesses
- Functional strength is the named development area and has to improve before the blocking projection holds
- Inline blocking consistency against bigger, more physical Big Ten defensive ends is unproven
- Durability question after missing five games in 2024
- Career 13.0 yards per catch says reliable chain-mover more than vertical field-tilter
- Never carried a high-volume role, 37 receptions is his career best in a season
- Has not yet faced Power-conference defensive fronts weekly, so the Penn State move is a real step up in competition
- No verified athletic testing on record, so the movement profile is still projection rather than measurement
College Stats
2025 (Iowa State): 37 rec, 446 yds, 12.1 avg, 6 TD; 2024 (Iowa State): 10 rec, 179 yds, 17.9 avg, 1 TD in 8 games; 2023 (Iowa State): 28 rec, 352 yds, 12.6 avg, 2 TD; Career: 75 rec, 977 yds, 13.0 avg, 9 TD in 33 games
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $936K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Penn State's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
The college fantasy model projects 7.1 PPG (TE7), after 8.8 PPG across 5 games last year.
Portal: transferred from Iowa State to Penn State for 2026.
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Measurables
Awards & Honors
Ranked TE4 in All Access Football's 2027 draft-eligible tight end rankings; second on Iowa State in receptions as a true freshman (2023)