It might be sacrilegious to mention Benjamin Brahmer in the same breath as Penn State tight end royalty.
Ted Kwalick. Kyle Brady. Tyler Warren.
Those names represent different generations of greatness at a position that has become synonymous with Penn State football. Brahmer has played exactly two games in a Nittany Lion uniform, so nobody is fitting him for a place alongside those names just yet.
But in an admittedly small sample size, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound Iowa State transfer has already shown why the conversation about his ceiling is worth having.
Through two games, Brahmer has caught six of his nine targets for 87 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per reception,and three touchdowns.
Against Temple, Brahmer took another step forward with five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns on six targets. His 3.59 yards per route run demonstrated just how productive he was when Penn State sent him into a route.
The numbers are impressive.
The matchup problems behind them might be even more intriguing.
“It sure is a luxury to have a 6-foot-7 guy,” longtime Penn State radio voice Steve Jones said on NSN’s “Joe and The Fatman.” “I was once talking to an NFL safety about facing a big tight end, and he said, ‘Steve, here’s the problem: He’s too quick for a linebacker and he’s too big for a safety.’
“Well, that’s Brahmer.”
That dilemma was on display against Temple.
With Penn State tied 3-3 and the first half winding down, quarterback Rocco Becht found Brahmer for a 24-yard touchdown that completely changed the complexion of the afternoon.
It wasn’t simply a big player making a big catch.
Penn State identified the matchup it wanted, got Brahmer isolated against the right defender and trusted its quarterback and tight end to finish the play.
“When you’ve got a target like that, where you can put the ball up high, it’s not going to get picked off,” Jones said. “And he has excellent hands.”
That’s only part of what makes Brahmer intriguing.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.His 72.6 PFF pass-blocking grade through two games offers another glimpse into his versatility. Penn State doesn’t need Brahmer to simply be an oversized receiver masquerading as a tight end. With Andrew Rappleyea, Gabe Burkle and Finn Furmanek giving the room considerable depth, the Nittany Lions can deploy their tight ends in different combinations and ask them to handle different responsibilities.
Brahmer’s physical development has helped make that possible.
Burkle has watched that transformation longer than almost anybody in Penn State’s current tight end room.
“He’s always prepared like a pro, honestly,” Burkle said. “Even his freshman year, his first fall camp, I thought everyone was super impressed with him.”
The biggest difference is Brahmer isn’t the skinny young tight end Burkle remembers arriving at Iowa State.
“He’s definitely put on weight, which was good, and he wears it well,” Burkle said. “Obviously, it hasn’t slowed him down at all.”
That’s a dangerous combination.
Brahmer has added the size necessary to withstand the physical demands of the position without sacrificing what made him such an intriguing receiving threat.
But perhaps the most important development isn’t found on any stat page or in game book, it’s been built with trust.
Jones has watched Penn State practices long enough to recognize when a quarterback develops a preferred option. He’s seen Becht repeatedly look toward Brahmer in pressure situations, including two-minute periods when the offense needs a play.
“There have been times I’ve watched practice when they’re running a two-minute drill or something and he’ll throw the ball to Brahmer three straight times,” Jones said. “He’ll look around and that’s the guy he trusts.”
Two games aren’t enough to put Brahmer beside Kwalick, Brady or Warren.
But they’re enough to understand why people are beginning to wonder just how high his ceiling could be.
Because Penn State might have found Becht’s security blanket and at 6-foot-7, it’s a pretty big one.
