Penn State earns another roster win as tight end Andrew Rappleyea will be back with the Lions in 2026

Penn State tight end Andrew Rappleyea will return to the Nittany Lions in 2026. He announced the news on Tuesday, just hours after offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh did the same. The pair is joined by offensive lineman Cooper Cousins and Owen Aliciene in sharing that they have no intentions of hitting the transfer portal following the 2025 season.

I want to take a moment to thank Coach Howle and Coach Franklin for their contributions to my Penn State journey, helping me grow immensely both as a player and, more importantly, as a man,” Rappleyea wrote on Twitter. “I will forever be grateful for that. This place is extremely close to my heart. The past three years have been nothing but a blessing for me and my family.

“I look forward to building this with Coach Campbell, Coach Mouser, and my brothers in that locker room.
With that being said, I’m excited to announce I will be returning to Penn State next season.”

Rappleyea had his most productive season to date in 2025. He caught 20 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns, including one score in the Pinstripe Bowl. He returned to action after missing almost all of the 2024 season due to injury. The New York native took a redshirt year in 2023.

“Coach Campbell, Thank you for this opportunity,” Rappleyea wrote. “Ready to get to work.”

What does it mean to get Rapp back?

At the very least, Rappleyea projects as a potential starter with Khalil Dinkins moving on. It will be interesting to see how this room shakes out. It’s fairly young. Luke Reynolds is eligible to return and earned plenty of run this year, even if it was an up-and-down second season for him. Transferring Iowa State tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle could also end up as part of the equation under new offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Taylor Mouser.

Penn State roster tracker

So far, the quartet named above are the only Penn State players with eligibility remaining who have said they will be back in 2026. A number of others have already announced that they are moving on via the transfer portal. That list includes the following former Nittany Lions:

TE Joey Schlaffer
OG Alex Birchmeier
WR Aaron Enterline
WR Anthony Ivey
CB Elliot Washington II
DE Chaz Coleman
CB AJ Harris
LB Kari Jackson
DE Daniel Jennings
DE Zuriah Fisher
LB Keon Wylie