Iowa State’s Gabe Burkle Named to Mackey Award Watch List
Cyclone tight end Gabe Burkle was named to the 2025 John Mackey Award watch list, the school announced Friday. The award is presented annually to college football’s best tight end.
Burkle, a Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Prairie alum, is one of six Big 12 tight ends and 46 players overall on the preseason list.
Burkle played in all 14 games last season for Iowa State, starting eight. He finished with 26 receptions for 296 yards, making his mark as a reliable pass-catcher in the offense, especially later in the season. Twenty-four of his catches came in the final seven games.
He was involved in several key moments, including a 26-yard catch on a halfback pass on third-and-1 to set up the game-winning score at Utah. Burkle also recorded his first career touchdown in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against No. 15 Miami.
Iowa State opens the 2025 season against Kansas State on Aug. 23 in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
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