Andrew Rappleyea has found his footing in the Penn State program. After redshirting and missing almost all of 2024 with a knee injury, the redshirt sophomore tight end is making his 6-foot-4 presence felt.
Entering the season with a crowded tight end room with Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds, Rappleyea has seen an increased role in the offense as the season’s gone on.
Rappleyea has played 30 or more snaps in each of the past five games and has started the last four. He drew a glowing endorsement from interim head coach Terry Smith during his weekly press conference.
“Rapp is a rare talent,” Smith said. “Big, strong, tough.”
Smith said that Rappleyea has made a significant difference in the running game, along with the offensive line’s improvement. Their improvements have come together and helped Kaytron Allen break the Penn State all-time rushing record.
“We run those 12 personnel sets with the two tight ends, sometimes three tight ends,” Smith said.
Those sets and personnel guided Penn State to 471 rushing yards the past two weeks, including 341 from Allen.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Rappleyea caught his first-career touchdown against Nebraska on Saturday. His physicality significantly stands out to Smith.
“He’s a road grader. He’s the definition of tough,” Smith said. “He’s not the guy you want to meet in the alley because he doesn’t know the end of the fight.”
Rappleyea owns 11 catches for 87 yards and the lone touchdown, catching three passes against both Nevada and Indiana. He made his first career start against West Virginia in 2024, but was injured in the game and cost him the remaining 15 games in Penn State’s season. Rappleyea played three games as a true freshman. Penn State has done well developing tight ends, including Theo Johnson, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Warren, and Pat Freiermuth over the last 10 years.
The 6-foot-4, 252 pound tight end from Millbrook, New York is a player Penn State can lean on going into the final contest of the regular season against Rutgers. The future for Penn State remains clouded amid a constantly changing coaching search. The players have put their rubber stamp behind Smith, and he is putting his on Rappleyea as a talented, tough, and physical force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.
“You see him out there, he’s very animated. He’s a big talker,” Smith said. “But man, he backs it up. He gives us an identity. When I say Terry Smith tough, man, that guy is the first guy in the line.”
