Penn State's 2021 Recruiting Class Is Ready to Go
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The future stretched across Penn State's practice field in late May as more than a dozen Nittany Lions, all beginning their second years in the program, lined up to tell their stories and embrace their new realities.
The members of Penn State's 2021 recruiting class no longer were rookies. Some had played last season, others spent it learning, but they all shared a singular mindset. The future was up to them.
"I think everybody from this recruiting class is going to have a great season," linebacker Jamari Buddin said. "We're all prepared as a class and we've grown so much throughout the season."
Penn State's 2021 recruiting class, which ranked 21st nationally according to 247Sports available, made its presence known in 2021. Ten true freshmen played and several more expect to take on larger roles this season.
Here's a glimpse of what we've learned about that 2021 class, which will begin making a larger impact on the field this fall.
They're hungry to play
Ten true freshmen played last season, notably defensive backs Kalen King and Jaylen Reed and quarterback Christian Veilleux. Others, like lineman Landon Tengwall, saw time but had hoped to play more.
Now, they're ready to get onto the field in larger roles. Kalen King and brother Kobe King will contend to start on a defense that also could include Reed or Zakee Wheatley at safety. Tengwall is primed to start at left guard. Receiver Harrison Wallace III should be a significant part of the rotation.
"I'm excited to play," said Tengwall, whose senior season of high school was canceled due to COVID. "I just want to play my role going 100 miles per hour."
They're starting businesses
Liam Clifford is chief development officer of Limitless NIL, the agency founded by his brother Sean, Penn State's likely fourth-year starting quarterback. Over the past few months, Clifford has spoken with fellow athletes about signing with the agency and Fortune 500 CEOs about generating NIL opportunities.
So far, Limitless NIL has signed to represent athletes from numerous schools, including football and basketball players from Penn State. Liam Clifford has been at the heart of the enterprise.
"Things are changing, especially in the NIL space," Liam Clifford said. "It's new, it's all about college kids who are dealing with it, so who better to do it than college students? There's never been any issues of, 'Oh, you're too young to be running a company,' or anything like that. They handle us the way we're going to handle them."
They've grown exponentially over the past year
Tengwall was the highest-ranked player in the 2021 recruiting class, a 6-6 lineman who sought to contribute immediately. Tengwall saw action in three games, notably against Rutgers when so many players were absent, but still felt as though he needed to learn so much more.
"Looking back, it’s honestly shocking how much you don’t know [about football] in high school," Tengwall said. "A lot of guys don't know how to draw on the board. It's actually really shocking how much you learn in college. That's why I think my football IQ has just grown so much since I've been at Penn State."
They're wide-ranging athletes
Kicker Sander Sahaydak played soccer much of his life, defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg played rugby as a kid in South Africa and Tengwall was a Junior Olympian in water polo. Plus, most everyone is familiar with Wallace's vertical leap.
Then there's Wheatley, who led the Lions in takeaways this spring. Wheatley, who converted from cornerback to safety, is the definition of an all-sports ballhawk.
He played center field in baseball, point guard in basketball and receiver in football. As a high school junior, Wheatley caught 56 passes and intercepted five.
"I have a good feel for the game and I’m confident in my abilities," Wheatley said. "I always have the ball in my hands and I feel like that helps me be an athlete on the football field, getting to where the ball is going to be."
They bring a slice of Michigan to Penn State
Penn State's 2021 class features more players from Michigan (four) than Pennsylvania (two). And all four could play significant roles: Jamari Buddin joins Kobe King in a linebacker room that has talent but lacks numbers, while Reed and Kalen King are potential starters in the secondary.
Coordinated?
"It kind of was," Kobe King said. "There was a point we were asking each other, 'What school are you thinking about?' and Penn State fit all of us. So that kind of played in its favor."
They feature Penn State's first player from Johannesburg
Defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg brought quite the backstory to State College. He grew up playing rugby in South Africa, and his family moved to Atlanta when he was 10. Van den Berg's parents were reluctant to allow him to play American football but relented when he was in 10th grade.
As a late starter, van den Berg received only a few Division III offers, so he walked on at Iowa Western Community College. After an impressive 2021 spring season, for which he was named a junior college All-American, van den Berg received a camp invitation to Penn State. He worked out, got the scholarship offer on a Wednesday and enrolled the following Monday.
Van den Berg, who played in four games last season and was a developmental squad star, will be one of Penn State's more interesting defensive players in 2022.
"On the field, you’re allowed to let out all your anger, all your frustrations and you get rewarded for hitting someone," van den Berg said. "I really enjoy that aspect of it."
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
