Penn State's recruiting coordinators discuss the Class of 2021

Penn State allowed the media to meet with both recruiting coordinators, Tyler Bowen, who handles the offense, and Terry Smith, who handles the defense, Thursday. As expected, both feel good about the players they signed, while also admitting that there's still work to do in the weeks ahead. While prospects can still technically sign today and tomorrow, with just 15 players signed, Penn State expects to still be pursuing players in January, ahead of the next opening, which begins Feb. 3.

Below, we run through some of the comments made by both Smith and Bowen.

- On Quarterback Christian Veilleux

Bowen: It really was just a match for what we were looking to do schematically, and his skill set. If you look at this class, it was very valuable to have information and live [evaluations] on a guy like Christian. We had targeted him early on and it just turned out that, his skill set and what we were looking for, for a quarterback for the program, also matched what we wanted to do offensively.

- On Tight End Khalil Dinkins

Bowen: What I get excited about in a tight end prospect, and really anybody we're bringing into that [locker] room right now, is a guy that not only has a high ceiling, but also has a high floor. I think that's what you're getting with Khalil....If you look at his skill set, compared nationally, he really jumped up my list and ended up being one of my favorites in the entire class and obviously the favorite when it came down to it. You look at a guy that has incredible athleticism, the ability to run after the catch. They showed that with doing some things with him, direct snap-wise and and different things like that. He's got incredible ball skills, a big frame that's going to be able to develop and add weight. You know, we look at him very similar coming out of high school to a Brenton Strange or a Tyler Warren. Brenton Strange was able to put on 45 pounds in six months. Tyler Warren's already up to 255 pounds. I think he's got that type of frame and that type of athleticism. Also, to dive a little further into the tight end piece of this, it's important that guys are versatile. I think that at the tight in position, you're asked to do so many different things. That spatial awareness, that feel, that field vision, if you will, is extremely important. I think he displays all of those things on his high school tape. Getting to know him, he's an incredible kid, great family. So, we're very excited about him. High ceiling, but I also think a very high floor.

- On Wide Receivers Lonnie White Jr., Liam Clifford & Harrison Wallace

Bowen: Perimeter skill was something we wanted to go address in this class, and all three of these guys really bring a great skill set to the room. They're all long, all very athletic, all have a very high ceiling, but again, I think they have a very high floor as well. I think if you look at their high school tape, there's some polish to each of them. So, I think just overall, not getting into each individual, I think they're bringing in some length to the room. Also, that raw athleticism and big play potential, that I know we want on offense. Those two areas were what we were able to address, and all three guys are obviously great people, great character guys, guys that we see can come in and be leaders in the locker room and we're super fired up to get all three on campus.

- On Offensive Lineman Nate Bruce and Landon Tengwall

Bowen: Really, you're looking at two guys that, for high school prospects, they're very physically ready to come in and play college football. Obviously, there's going to be a little bit of a jump from speed of the game and things like that, but when you look at their size, their strength, their athleticism, we're super excited about both of them from that standpoint. Then, you start adding the mental makeup and how we feel about them as people, great kids, great young men.

Nate's a guy I've had an opportunity to, even with all the COVID stuff going on this year, prior to that, I had the opportunity to see him live multiple times. He's an aggressive football player. He's what you look for in a big-time, interior offensive lineman. Great feet, strong at the point of attack, really long, can play with length inside. So, all those physical traits are there. Then, you start adding in just who he is, we're super excited about getting him up here and getting rolling, as he'll be coming [early] with Landon.

Landon, you know, I've had the opportunity to know Landon really since he was in eighth grade. Just watching his development over time, although they didn't get to play a high school senior season, you just look at his body of work, what he's been able to do in high school so far, and then you start adding those intangible qualities, which both of them have. But watching what he's done, just with his body and his work ethic standpoint, he's really becoming a master of the offensive line craft. He's a guy that loves offensive line play, loves studying, loves learning about it, loves asking questions. So, I think both of those guys, you look at two guys that are physically capable of coming in and helping us, but also have the traits and the character and the makeup that you want on your roster. So, we couldn't be more excited about those two guys and really feel like we hit a home run in the offensive line department in this class.

- On Specialist Sander Sahaydak

Bowen: I'm just an offensive guy but I know I was recruiting the hell out of him. He's got a boot. I like it when we go down and we're able to to get points or we're able to create touchbacks from a kickoff standpoint. We're super excited to get him here and get going. He's got a boot. I think we've seen over really the time since Coach Franklin has been here, the impact that special teams can play, especially an elite specialist, and I think he's the next guy in a long line.

- On Defensive End Rodney McGraw

Smith: Rodney McGraw brings a well-needed defensive end, edge pressure guy. He has a lot of toughness. He brings good speed and athleticism. These past few years, we've been really, really fortunate to have some great edge guys. Obviously both our edge guys, Shaka and Oweh are All-Big Ten type guys and they'll be NFL guys. And McGraw, we feel like he's gonna be a good guy like that as well. So obviously, he's got to come in and develop, but we're extremely excited about him coming.

- On LBs Jamari Buddin and Kobe King, CB Kalen King & Saf. Jaylen Reed

Smith: Coach Banks has a big presence there in Detroit, being from there, being from King High School where Jaylen Reed is from. He does a great job of facilitating our recruiting and the relationships with all the coaches there. Talking about Kalen and Kobe out of Cass Tech, Coach [Thomas] Wilcher, who's their coach, he does a great job with that program. These guys are well-coached, they're good students of the game, they're good people, they're good young men. Kobe's the type of kid that will come here and be a future captain for us. He's a tremendous leader, tremendous work ethic. Kalen is an elite athlete, and I think you guys saw from his senior film what we had seen in his junior film, and he took it to a whole nother level. Just excited about the opportunity of him coming in and having an immediate impact to help us get better. Jamari, I remember seeing him at Sound Mind, Sound Body Camp, like two years ago. He was playing tight end, and he instantly stood out. And I was like, "who's that guy?" Just excited about his athleticism, his speed. He's a violent football player in a good way. And we're just excited to get him. And then Jaylen Reed is another guy that's a tremendous leader-type guy. He's a super smart guy on the back end. He can get everyone lined up. He's a playmaker, he's physical, he's an in the box guy that can come down. Physical, kind of like, in a sense, a Marcus Allen type of guy. So we're just excited about this group coming out of Detroit.

- On Defensive Backs Jeffrey Davis Jr. and Zakee Wheatley

Smith: Jeff Davis, he's tremendous talent, great speed, 4.4 speed. Really, really quick, great ball skills, really smart, down to earth kid. Tremendous athlete. I think day one, he'll start out at corner, and then we'll figure this process out with him. Zakee brings tremendous position flexibility with his size, his length, his speed, his athleticism. He can play the corner or either of the safety positions and possibly the dime and the nickel as well. Both kids are really smart kids, both kids come from great families, great backgrounds, great high school coaching. So, we're really excited about the opportunity these guys [bring]. As they step foot on campus, we will sort through the initial positions they'll play. Hopefully, they'll have an immediate impact for us.

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