Penn State Recruiting: 4-Star Prospect Jamari Buddin Commits to 2021 Class
Penn State on Thursday picked up its first 2021 commitment in more than two months as Michigan linebacker Jamari Buddin, Jr. joined the class.
Buddin, a four-star linebacker, made his announcement on Twitter. He became the 13th player to commit to Penn State's 2021 class and the first since Malvern Prep's Lonnie White Jr. announced in early May.
With Buddin's commitment, the state of Michigan now leads Penn State's 2021 recruiting class with four players. That includes safety Jaylen Reed and brothers Kalen King and Kobe King.
At Belleville High, Buddin became a high-priority player on plenty of Big Ten recruiting boards. Buddin also had offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue and Maryland. Florida State and Boston College were in the mix as well.
Buddin, an SI All-American Candidate, is among the nation's top 20 linebackers, according to Rivals.com. He also is among the top 10 prospects in Michigan.
According to SI All-American's scouting report, Buddin is athletic and versatile, capable of playing outside and inside. And he projects as a player beyond college.
"Possesses natural pass-rush ability, but comfort taking on blocks and scraping to ball suggest the greatest value comes at MIKE [linebacker]," SI All-American's scouting report says. "Projects as multi-year impact starter, with pro potential depending on size development."
Buddin is 6-2, 210 pounds with room to grow. SI All-American calls him slender but with a solid early muscle base.
Further, here's a good breakdown of Buddin's skillset from SI All-American's evaluation. Watch his highlight clip atop the story for a glimpse at Buddin's potential.
"Possesses natural pass-rush ability, but comfort taking on blocks and scraping to ball suggest the greatest value comes at MIKE. Projects as multi-year impact starter, with pro potential depending on size development."
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