Get to Know Penn State's Class of 2021: Defense

Penn State signed 15 players in its Class of 2021 back in December, half of which have already enrolled on campus. The Nittany Lions added one last signee on Wednesday when four-star DE Davon Townley wrapped up his recruitment, choosing Penn State over Minnesota, Nebraska and Washington, among others.

Although this class ranks 26th overall in the Rivals team rankings, the fact that James Franklin and his staff have signed just 16 players has a major impact on that rating. If you look at the other two ways to judge a class, especially those under the 20 prospect threshold, the Nittany Lions rank 15th in average star rating and 14th in average points per player. For some perspective, Penn State's current average per player is 98.62 points. That's substantially higher than last year's average of 80.07 points.

Read up on the team's newest defensive players below, or click the link below to learn more about the offensive additions.

Get to Know Penn State's Class of 2021: Offense

Film Evaluation: DE Rodney McGraw ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A three-year letterman and two-time team captain, McGraw helped Elkhart go 24-10 during his three seasons with the varsity squad, including an 18-4 record as an upperclassman. After totaling 45 tackles and four sacks as a sophomore, he essentially doubled his stats in 2019, finishing his junior season with 73 tackles and nine sacks. Despite playing fewer games in 2020, he had an even better senior year, totaling 91 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

WHAT HE WON - McGraw was a three-time Class 6A Northern Indiana Athletic Conference All-League selection. He was also a two-time All-City honoree. McGraw was named a three-star prospect. He’s the 23rd-ranked weakside defensive end and No. 8 overall prospect in Indiana.

WHERE HE VISITED - McGraw earned an offer from Penn State in September 2019 and visited a month later, attending the White Out game against Michigan. He ended up committing to Indiana in January 2020 but continued to stay in contact with Penn State throughout the spring. Then, following a coaching change on Tom Allen’s staff, McGraw flipped his commitment to the Nittany Lions in May. Overall, he earned 13 scholarship offers. Michigan and Indiana were the two other schools he seriously considered, with Boston College, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin being a few other notable schools that extended offers.

QUOTABLE - Elkhart head coach Josh Shattuck: “What me and my wife and our whole family are really excited about is that he’s going to be in a place where he doesn’t have to have so much responsibility for so many other people. He doesn’t live like an 18-year-old kid. He lives like I do, being responsible for other people. He’s got people depending on him. He’s working on top of balancing home, school, football and recruiting, all that. Now, moving forward, there’s going to be a lot more work when it comes to football and academics, but he’s got the resources now and can stay in one place. He doesn’t have to worry so much about how he’s going to feed himself or how he’s going to take care of this or that. His life should calm down now, allowing him to focus on the things that are going to determine his future and where he’s going in life. That’s what I’m so excited about. He’s never had that opportunity before.”

PHIL’S TAKE - McGraw had a sensational senior season, emerging as one of the top two defensive linemen in Indiana for the Class of 2021. Listed at 6-4, 250 pounds, he’s just beginning to physically mature. He will most likely play the strongside defensive end position at Penn State at between 265 and 270 pounds. Given a three-star rating by Rivals, McGraw could end up being the most underrated member of Penn State’s class. He’s still very raw in his development, but physically he is one of the most impressive of the incoming freshmen. Even at 250 pounds, he looks skinny. He’s learned to use his hands to shed blocks and is starting to understand leverage. He’s extremely athletic for a player his size and has an explosive first step that gives him an impressive outside pass rush. He was Penn State’s No. 1 defensive end target in the Class of 2021, but I expect him to redshirt this coming fall.

WHAT HE DID - Townley didn’t start playing football until his junior season, but he quickly established himself as a player to watch. North Community also went 14-1 that year, earning a spot in the MSHSL AA state championship, although they ultimately came up short. During North Community’s COVID-shortened six-game 2020 season, they went 5-1. Townley finished with 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 10 pass breakups. A two-time team captain, he also played offense and had five catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Before emerging as a football prospect, Townley shined on the hardwood, averaging 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds during his junior season on the North Community boys’ basketball team.

WHAT HE WON - A four-star prospect, Townley is ranked No. 11 nationally at weakside defensive end and No. 2 overall in Minnesota. He was a 2AA All-Conference choice in 2020.

WHERE HE VISITED - Because he emerged so late in the recruiting cycle, after the pandemic had clamped down on prospects’ opportunities to check out schools in person, Townley didn’t take any visits. But even though his recruitment by Penn State was strictly remote, he and his family made a connection with James Franklin, John Scott Jr. and Tim Banks. Townley had considered signing with Arizona State during the December period but ultimately opted to wait. Among the other schools on his short list were Minnesota, Michigan State, Nebraska and Washington. In the end, he decided that the Nittany Lions were offering “too great of an opportunity to pass up.” He signed on Feb. 3, becoming the 16th and most likely final member of the Class of 2021.

QUOTABLE - Townley: “The plan is to come in and compete for a job and play as early as possible. I’m ready to work and understand that to get a job you have to take a job. And you can’t take anything without hard work and knowledge of the job, so I’m ready to go to work. There’s low depth at the position, so it’s an opportunity to play early.”

PHIL’S TAKE - I believe Townley will play exclusively at the strongside defensive end position. When you look at his updated highlight video, there are a lot of similarities to former Penn State DE Carl Nassib, although he's already bigger than Nassib coming out of high school at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds. Despite the size, Townley has an explosive outside pass rush, uses his hands superbly to shed blocks and is effective against the run. His first step is very explosive. Once he gets in Dwight Galt’s strength and conditioning program, he should physically mature, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up playing around 260-270 pounds. He has a 36-inch vertical leap, and as a basketball player, he excels at dunking. There’s a chance that Townley could be a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions.

Film Evaluation: LB Jamari Buddin ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A four-year letterman and a team captain in 2020, Buddin was part of the most successful stretch at Belleville in decades, as the Tigers went 43-4 during his varsity career. They made the Michigan state semifinals in 2019 and 2020 but came up short both years. The 2020 season was interrupted in the playoffs due to coronavirus concerns, but in Belleville’s first nine games, Buddin totaled 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks. His 2019 season was his best, as he totaled 61 tackles, including an eye-catching 29 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles. If you include his two seasons as an underclassman, Buddin racked up 184 tackles, 59 tackles for loss and 19 sacks.

WHAT HE WON - Buddin won multiple awards in 2019, including All-Kensington Lakes Activities Association, first-team All-Conference by MLive.com, All-West Detroit by the Detroit News and All-Region Great Lakes by MaxPreps. A three-star prospect, Buddin ranked 33rd nationally at outside linebacker and was the 15th-ranked player in Michigan.

WHERE HE VISITED - Buddin emerged in the summer of 2019, when he and his Belleville teammates attended Penn State’s seven-on-seven camp. Safeties coach Tim Banks and defensive coordinator Brent Pry had been monitoring him prior to that, but watching him move up close helped get the ball rolling; two weeks after the camp, Banks extended an offer. Buddin made two additional trips to Penn State, attending the White Out victory over Michigan in October and returning Feb. 1 for what proved to be the final junior day before the pandemic shut recruiting down. Like so many other prospects, he held out throughout the spring and summer, hoping to visit schools at some point. He didn’t get that chance, but come July, Buddin was ready to shut it all down. His decision ultimately came down to Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota. He announced for the Nittany Lions on July 17.

QUOTABLE - Belleville head coach Jermain Crowell: “Jamari is a passionate, aggressive and explosive football player. He can be real calm, cool and collected off the field, but on the field he’s a disrupter and a playmaker. Penn State is getting a great pass rusher, and he’s going to develop the more snaps he gets. When the lights come on is when he plays his best, in the biggest games.”

PHIL’S TAKE - The first thing you notice when you view Buddin’s senior highlight video is how explosive he is as an outside pass rusher from his OLB position. He has an outstanding first step and knows how to use his hands and dip his shoulder to get leverage on any offensive tackle who tries to block him. Buddin reads his keys exceptionally well and knows how to use his hands to shed blocks. He plays superbly both in traffic and in space, has legitimate 4.55-second or better 40-yard speed and takes exceptional angles down the line of scrimmage to get to the ball carrier. Buddin appears capable of playing either the Sam or the Will outside linebacker position at Penn State. He has superb tackling technique, tackling through the ball carrier, and does a good job with his pass drops from his linebacker position. In short, he has exceptional football instincts. I don’t expect Buddin to redshirt his freshman year. In fact, I can envision him making the depth chart at the Sam OLB position as a freshman.

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Film Evaluation: LB Kobe King ($$)

WHAT HE DID - Just like his twin brother Kalen, Kobe King was a four-year letterman and two-time team captain. He helped lead Cass Tech to a 38-12 record during those four seasons, including a 2017 campaign in which the Technicians won district and regional championships. They were 9-0 this past fall before Michigan paused athletics in November. When the season resumed in early January, they lost to Jamari Buddin and Belleville in the quarterfinals of the Division I playoffs. Neither Kobe nor Kalen was able to play against Belleville, as they were both set to enroll at Penn State the following weekend. In nine games this season, King totaled 58 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two sacks. For his career, he had 157 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles.

WHAT HE WON - King was named the 2019 Detroit Public School League Linebacker of the Year, in addition to claiming All-City, All-Region and All-State honors in 2019 and 2020. A four-star rating, he's the 15th-ranked inside linebacker nationally and the ninth-ranked overall player in Michigan.

WHERE HE VISITED - Kobe and Kalen King visited Penn State for the first time in April 2019 to attend the Blue-White Game. Kobe earned an offer from the staff in June, and the brothers returned to Penn State for a junior day in January 2020. Come spring, the Kings narrowed their list down to Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin, and they both ended up committing to the Nittany Lions on April 10. Overall, King earned 27 scholarship offers.

QUOTABLE - Penn State defensive recruiting coordinator Terry Smith: “Kobe is the type of kid who will come here and be a future captain for us. He’s a tremendous leader, tremendous work ethic.”

PHIL’S TAKE - King was Michigan’s top-rated linebacker at the Division I level this year, and his film makes it obvious why that was the case. He’s an extremely instinctive linebacker capable of playing the two box positions (Mike and Will) at Penn State. King does an excellent job of slipping off blocks in traffic. He reads his keys at the line of scrimmage, and I love his hand placement to help him scrape off blocks. He appears to have the ability to play sideline to sideline no matter where he’s lined up. King takes an excellent angle down the line of scrimmage to get to the ball carrier. And once he gets there, he uses picture-perfect tackling technique. He’s presently listed at 6-foot-0, 237 pounds, and I expect he’ll spend his college career at about that weight. When you watch him play, you can’t help but notice how much he loves physical contact. But he also plays well in space and provides solid pass coverage from his linebacker position. King has surprising lateral quickness for a player his size. He could be special teams terror as a freshman.

Film Evaluation: Jeffrey Davis Jr. ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A four-year letterman, Davis actually started playing high school football as an eighth-grader. In fact, he was the first student-athlete to ever letter as an eighth-grader at Kingswood Oxford. Over that time, the Wyvrens went 16-14-1, including an appearance in the Evergreen League championship game in 2018. During the past three seasons, Davis totaled 99 tackles and four interceptions. He also scored 21 touchdowns and had more than 1,300 yards receiving on offense. Off the gridiron, Davis lettered in basketball and track and field.

WHAT HE WON - Davis was a two-time All-Evergreen League honoree. He also earned All-New England honors in track and field, competing in the 100- and 200-meter races and the 4x100-meter relay. A three-star prospect, he was the nation’s 35th-ranked cornerback and the third-ranked prospect in Connecticut.

WHERE HE VISITED - Davis earned an offer from Penn State in November 2019 while on campus for a game. That was actually his second trip, as he had previously camped with James Franklin and his staff in July. Like a few other committed players, he returned to Penn State one last time in February 2020 for what proved to be the final junior day before on-campus recruiting was halted. A versatile player, Davis totaled 14 scholarships for both defensive back and wide receiver. He decided to end his recruitment in April.

QUOTABLE - Davis: “The main reason why I love Penn State is the immediate love they showed me from the moment I got the offer at the Indiana game [in 2019]. As soon as I was offered, their coaches really showed me how important I was to them. I fell in love with the school right away and I knew pretty quickly that this is where I wanted to be. I just have a great relationship with the coaches. Coach Franklin and all the coaches are great. The entire fan base is awesome.”

PHIL’S TAKE - Depending on his physical development, Davis has the potential to play either the field safety or boundary cornerback position at Penn State. Currently listed at 170 pounds by Penn State (he was listed at 178 when he signed in December), he’s an exceptional athlete with 4.4-second 40-yard speed, a 4.23-second 20-yard shuttle time and a 37-inch vertical leap. He played at wide receiver, cornerback and free safety at Kingswood Oxford and was impressive at all three spots. He does an excellent job of using press man-to-man coverage skills from his cornerback position, showing loose hips and a solid backpeddle in man coverage. At free safety, he’s very disciplined with his zone coverage technique and provides solid run support. One thing that stands out about his performance as a defensive back is that he is very capable of catching the football with his hands. He will most likely redshirt as a freshman, after which I expect him to play at the field safety position at Penn State.

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Film Evaluation: CB Kalen King ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A four-year letterman and two-time team captain, King led Cass Tech to a 38-12 record during his time at the school, helping the Technicians win district and regional championships in 2017. Cass Tech was on pace to once again contend for a Michigan state championship in 2020, but King and his twin brother, Kobe, saw their high school careers end when the state paused high school athletics in November due to the pandemic. Play resumed in January, but by then the Kings had graduated and were preparing to enroll early at Penn State. Without their two best players, the Technicians lost to Belleville, 43-16, in the Division I playoffs. During his four varsity seasons, Kalen King was rarely challenged by opposing quarterbacks, but he still totaled four interceptions in his career while making 38 tackles the past two seasons.

WHAT HE WON - King earned All-State, All-Region, All-City and Detroit Public School All-Conference honors in 2019 and 2020. Afour-star prospect and a member of the Rivals250, King finished at No. 135 overall. He’s the 10th-ranked cornerback nationally and the sixth-ranked prospect in Michigan.

WHERE HE VISITED - Kalen and Kobe visited Penn State for the first time in April 2019 to attend the Blue-White Game. Their visit came about two weeks after Kalen earned an offer from the Nittany Lion coaching staff. Both returned to Penn State again in January for one of the final junior days before recruiting was halted. In April, the brothers narrowed their list to seven schools, although Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin were really the three they chose between. The brothers announced their commitments together just a week later on April 10. Overall, King totaled 32 scholarship offers.

QUOTABLE - Class Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher: “Kalen is a young man who has very high thresholds for increasing his athletic ability. He is hungry to learn and anxious to keep improving himself every day. He has a desire to be great. No matter what he does, he’s always trying to be the best. He was an all-league selection in three sports. He has great leadership. He’s a great example for his teammates and a great mentor to them.”

PHIL’S TAKE - King is the top cornerback recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2021. One of the first things that catches your attention on his 2020 highlight video is the physical nature of his game and how good he is in run support from his cornerback position. King has pure tackling technique. He possesses exceptional 4.4-second 40-yard speed and a 39-inch vertical leap, has loose hips, and excels in press man-to-man coverage. Although he’s listed at 5-foot-11, 176 pounds, he plays like he’s 6-1, 185. He has superb hand-eye coordination, and because he’s also a polished wide receiver on offense, he understands his responsibilities in zone pass coverage. King will press for early playing time at the field cornerback position at Penn State, and he may also be able to contribute as a freshman on punt and kickoff returns. I see him as a potential three-year starter.

Film Evaluation: Saf. Jaylen Reed ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A three-year letterman and a captain in 2020, Reed helped lead the Crusaders to a 29-9 record during his time with the team. That included a Division III state championship in 2018 and an appearance in the title game against Muskegon the following year after MLK High had moved up to Division II. Statistically, Reed put up some very impressive numbers the past two years. In 2019, he totaled 119 tackles, while also forcing four fumbles and one interception in 14 games. He followed that up with 68 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, and another four forced fumbles in 10 games in 2020.

WHAT HE WON - In addition to being named to the Metro Detroit Dream Team in 2019 and 2020, Reed earned All-State honors the past two seasons. A four-star prospect, he was the 22nd-ranked safety nationally and the 10th-ranked player in Michigan.

WHERE HE VISITED - Reed earned an offer from Penn State in February 2019. He was only able to visit University Park one time, in January 2020. That proved to be enough in the end, as Reed ended up committing to the Nittany Lions in April. Overall, he totaled 33 scholarship offers. Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, USC and West Virginia were some of the top programs that pursued him. He visited both Michigan State and Georgia.

QUOTABLE - Martin Luther King Jr. head coach Tyrone Spencer: “Jaylen Reed has been a three-year starter for us and has been the glue that holds our defense together. He is a guy who is always around the football and gives maximum effort on every play. He can play a plethora of positions and has a high football IQ. He’s very instinctual. Jaylen has a 300-pound bench press, squats 425 pounds and runs 4.5 in the 40. Jaylen is a hard worker and plays the game with passion and toughness. He leads by example and with his play on the field. He has been great for us and leaves his mark as one of the best defenders to come out of King High School.”

PHIL’S TAKE - The top safety prospect in Michigan’s Class of 2021, Reed is one tough customer. He excelled at run support from his strong safety position at MLK High, reminding me of former Penn State safety Marcus Allen. With his 4.5-second 40-yard speed and 36-inch vertical leap, Reed is an outstanding athlete who could also play the star outside linebacker position in Penn State’s 4-2-5 defensive alignment. He appears capable of playing man-to-man coverage against the pass and excels at blitzing the QB from his safety position. He could be an excellent special teams player as a freshman, contributing on the punt- and kickoff-coverage teams. I also believe he has a chance to make Penn State’s depth chart at the boundary safety position this fall, and he could easily play at 210 pounds by his sophomore year at Penn State.

Film Evaluation: Saf. Zakee Wheatley ($$)

WHAT HE DID - A three-year letterman, Wheatley helped lead Archbishop Spalding to a combined record of 14-9-1 the past three seasons. After Maryland paused high school athletics to start the 2020 fall semester, the Cavaliers and a handful of other teams in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association attempted to play a shortened season beginning in early November. They were only able to play two games before athletics were suspended again due to COVID-19, and the season was never resumed. Wheatley scored two touchdowns on offense and had two interceptions, while Spalding went 2-0. His best season was in 2019 when he totaled 30 tackles, seven pass breakups and five interceptions while also serving as a major offensive contributor with 810 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.

WHAT HE WON - Wheatley earned All-City and All-County honors in 2019. He was also selected to represent Maryland in the 2021 Big 33 game. A four-star prospect, he ranked 21st nationally at safety and 10th overall in Maryland.

WHERE HE VISITED - Wheatley earned an offer from the Nittany Lions in June 2019. He visited for the first time the following month, attending the Lasch Bash barbecue, and that’s what really put Penn State in the pole position with him and his family. Wheatley went on to visit three more times, attending two games that season, followed by a personal day with the staff in December 2019. He narrowed his list to eight schools – Penn State, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pitt, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin – in March 2020 and went on to commit to Penn State in April. Overall, Wheatley earned two dozen scholarship offers.

QUOTABLE - Cavaliers head coach Kyle Schmitt: “Zakee is one of the best players in the history of Archbishop Spalding. He is a three-year starter on both sides of the ball, making a tremendous impact on our program. He has length, athleticism, toughness and elite ball skills that will make him an impact player in the Penn State secondary. Most importantly, he epitomizes what Spalding football is all about and was a model for his younger teammates. Those same qualities make him a great fit for Penn State.”

PHIL’S TAKE - After viewing Wheatley’s junior highlight video, I’m confident he is capable of playing the boundary cornerback position or the field safety spot, as well as the Z-wide receiver position on offense. But there is no doubt in my mind that Wheatley will begin his Penn State football career at free safety. He has a reported 35-inch vertical leap and loose hips and is fully capable of playing press man-to-man defense from either the safety or cornerback position. He’s very aggressive with his run support but must improve his tackling technique. At 6-foot-2, Wheatley has the frame to play at 200 pounds. He will most likely redshirt his freshman season.

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