Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State TE Gabe Burkle

Penn State football will have a completely overhauled roster to get to know in 2026 under new head coach Matt Campbell. Following one of the most active offseasons in recent memory for Penn State with a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, fans will have a lot of catching up to do in getting to know this year's Penn State roster. Fortunately, not every face will be brand new to fans. Regardless, we will be here to give you a fresh overview of every player on the roster for the 2026 season with a series of player profiles.

From all of the returning players, a long list of new faces from the transfer portal, and incoming recruits from the Class of 2026, we will have you covered with this year's player profiles for the Penn State roster. Here is a quick look at tight end Gabe Burkle for the 2026 season.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Height: 6-6
Weight: 251 lbs
Class in 2026: Redshirt Senior

Recruiting Rankings

Class of 2022: Consensus 3-star, No. 49 ranked tight end, per 247sports

Gave Burkle received multiple offers from Big Ten schools during his recruitment but ultimately chose to join Iowa State in the Big 12. Penn State never offered him initially, but now he follows his coach to Happy Valley by way of the transfer portal.

Career Stats

Burkle had to work his way up the Cyclones’ depth chart by the bootstraps. After hardly touching the field in his first two seasons, he became a big part of the offense, tallying 54 catches for 607 yards and two touchdowns in his career.

Depth Chart Overview

Burkle figures to be one of the main contenders to win the No. 2 tight end job. Brahmer likely has the inside track to becoming the starter, but Burkle is easily the second-most accomplished player at the position on the Nittany Lions’ roster.