Blue White Illustrated

March 2021

Penn State Sports Magazine

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Players like four-star o;ensive line prospect Landon Tengwall have the po- tential to be game-changers for a pro- gram. There is constant talk about Penn State football being able to take the next step and competing in the College Foot- ball Playo;. It would be unfair to say that any one player, even one as impres- sive as Tengwall, can put the Nittany Lions in that category. But his commit- ment to the program is a sign that they are on their way down that path. STRENGTHS SIZE/ATHLETICISM It is not hyperbole to say that Tengwall looks like an NFL lineman already. Standing 6-foot-5, the Maryland native is a natural 303 pounds and has a 9t, athletic build that looks lean and agile. On top of that, he's al- ready on campus as an early enrollee, which means that he'll have 9ve months of growth and development before be- ginning his 9rst fall camp. Tengwall simply has to stay the course and con- tinue to put in the work to develop his body for the college level. He also moves very well for his size. Tengwall's ability to play in space on pulls and lead blocks, paired with loose hips that allow him to quickly seal blocks at the line of scrimmage, make him a well-rounded prospect. FOOTWORK This is what really separates him as a high school prospect and makes his athletic mesurables come to life. His kick slide as a pass protector is a textbook example that you can teach positional fundamentals to younger players. The smoothness and pro9ciency of his footwork in pass protection will trans- late immediately to the college level. This could allow him to begin working on the 9ner points of pass protection early in his Penn State career. Tengwall isn't a perfect pass blocker, and there were not many reps on his 9lm in which he was challenged, but his translatable skills in pass protection are o; the charts. With good technical coaching, he could be a special pass protector. RUN BLOCKING Not only does Tengwall have the physical skills to be a high-end o;ensive lineman, he has the tempera- ment. He shows a nasty streak that of- fensive line coaches love, but he also has enough awareness to know when to call o; the dogs (most of the time). From a technical standpoint, he's phe- nomenal when it comes to the basics of blocking. He 9res o; with good balance and body lean and shows the ability to execute just about every block there is. Tengwall arrives ready with his hands and feet to execute his block. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT HAND FIGHTING Most of Tengwall's game is advanced for his age. One area that is hard to master, even for upper- classmen in college, is hand 9ghting. Whether it's throwing his hands wide on a pulling block or having his hands too low in pass protection, there are small things to clean up that he can work on before his 9rst snap of college football. These nuances are critical and will likely come in time. His tape already shows quality work in other areas of hand usage, so there is no question that he can add more to his game over time. CONTROL AND EFFICIENCY This could be summed up as just general polish that a player would need in order to start at the college level. It's small things like pulling out of his stance with proper technique or continuing to eliminate wasted move- ment – re9nements he can work on over time. Because Good Counsel didn't play in 2020, he missed out on an opportunity to work on those skills as a senior. POSIT IONAL PROJECTION TACKLE Tengwall has gotten reps at guard, right tackle and le= tackle. His body type 9ts well at any of those posi- tions, and he has said that o;ensive line coach Phil Trautwein values that :exi- bility. His reach and overall length make him a natural 9t at tackle, but there seem to be two factors that will deter- mine his ultimate landing spot. The 9rst will be whether he grows any more. There are very few guards taller than 6-6 at the college or professional level, because that sort of height makes it very di

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