This article has been updated as of May 13, 2026 to remove early role certainty and align the transfer note with public roster and portal reporting. Benjamin Brahmer and Will Tompkins both came to Penn State from Iowa State during the first January wave of Matt Campbell’s roster rebuild.
Transfer Timeline
StateCollege.com’s transfer tracker listed Brahmer as added on January 3, 2026 and Tompkins as added later that same night. The timing mattered because both players had direct Iowa State ties and followed Campbell’s move to Penn State.
Penn State’s official 2026 roster later listed Brahmer as a junior tight end and Tompkins as an offensive lineman. That official roster status is the cleanest way to treat both players for current site coverage.
Benjamin Brahmer
Brahmer was the headline addition of the pair because he had already produced at Iowa State. StateCollege.com’s tracker listed him with 75 receptions for 977 yards and nine touchdowns across three seasons, including 37 catches for 446 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. Public transfer rankings also treated him as one of the top tight ends available in the portal.
The fit is easy to understand. Taylor Mouser became Penn State’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, and Brahmer had already played in the Campbell/Mouser orbit at Iowa State. That gives Penn State a tight end with production, system familiarity, and size.
What the page should avoid is declaring a specific formation package or target share. Brahmer is a major current roster piece, but the final 2026 tight end usage should be checked against spring, camp, and game evidence.
Will Tompkins
Tompkins’ situation is different. StateCollege.com listed him as a former Iowa State offensive tackle with four seasons of eligibility remaining. The tracker noted that he saw no action at Iowa State in 2025, which makes him more of a developmental offensive line addition than an immediate proven starter.
That distinction matters for a depth-chart site. Brahmer brings college production. Tompkins brings youth, size, and familiarity with Ryan Clanton and the Iowa State program. Both additions are useful, but they should not be described the same way.
Penn State Roster Impact
The Brahmer-Tompkins article is best read as part of the larger January 2026 portal reset. Penn State added a veteran quarterback in Rocco Becht, tight end help with Brahmer, line depth with Tompkins and other transfers, and defensive reinforcements across multiple positions.
For the current depth chart, Brahmer belongs in the tight end competition with Gabe Burkle, Andrew Rappleyea, and other active names. Tompkins belongs in the offensive line development pool unless verified participation moves him higher.
Sources and update notes
This update was checked against StateCollege.com’s Penn State transfer tracker, Penn State’s official 2026 roster, public 247Sports transfer rankings cited in local reporting, and Iowa State/Penn State roster references. It removes old references to Luke Reynolds as a current Penn State partner because Reynolds transferred to Virginia Tech for 2026.
Future role changes should be tied to official participation, updated depth charts, or repeated camp reporting rather than assumed from transfer timing alone.