Blue White Illustrated

F O O T B A L L R E C R U I T I N G QB Veilleux highlights spring commitment surge Canadian standout one of four prospects to announce for Nittany Lions in recent weeks | P enn State's Class of 2021 stayed hot at the end of April and into May, adding four new commitments, including four- star quarterback Christian Veilleux, who announced his choice on April 29. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Veilleux has been on Penn State's radar for a few years, camping with the coaching sta= each of the past four summers. He earned an o=er from head coach James Franklin a>er a strong performance at last year's Whiteout Camp and returned for two more visits in November and February. As an underclassman, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Veilleux attended Canisius High School in Bu=alo, N.Y., before de- ciding last summer to transfer to the Bullis School in Maryland. Kentucky, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia were a handful of the top schools that extended o=ers to Veilleux following his sophomore season. He then added o=ers from Arizona State, Duke, Clemson, Louisville and LSU, among others, a>er his junior sea- son at Bullis. Veilleux, who has thrown for roughly 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns during the past two seasons, narrowed his list down to Penn State, Clemson, Duke and Tennessee in early April. The same day that Veilleux announced his commitment, the Nittany Lions also added one of the nation's top specialists in Sander Sahaydak of Bethlehem, Pa. Following multiple camp appearances this past winter, Sahaydak was named the nation's No. 1 kicking prospect by Kohl's Kicking. He also camped with the Nittany Lion coaching sta= last summer and returned for a junior day visit in Feb- ruary. "As a kid growing up in PA, it goes without saying that the support and fan base for Penn State football is huge," Sa- haydak said. "When I visited earlier this year, I was impressed with the campus, coaching staff and facilities, as well as the focus on both academics and athlet- ics." An All-Eastern PA selection from Lib- erty High School, Sahaydak converted 10 of 12

• Cover