Penn State football tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle have been named to the John Mackey Award watch list on Wednesday. Mackey Award Watch ListPresented annually to the Best Tight End in College Football@BenjaminBrahmer | @GabeBurkle pic.twitter.com/ww9ztvk5Aq — Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 5, 2026Brahmer, in his fourth year of eligibility, is coming off a season in which he was voted Second-Team All-Big 12 and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award. Brahmer transferred from Iowa State to Happy Valley in January, marking a huge get for Penn State following the departures of Luke Reynolds and Andrew Olesh to Virginia Tech and Oregon, respectively. The John Mackey Award, which is named after NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, is presented annually to the top tight end in college football. Tyler Warren won the award in 2024 after an excellent season with the Nittany Lions.