Penn State Sports Magazine
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just outside of Detroit, he held o8ers from both Michigan and Michigan State but chose to sign with James Franklin and his sta8. He said he respects Franklin's work ethic and his determination to maximize each day and views that mindset as one that will help him get the most out of his college experience. More than anything, though, Buddin wanted a family atmosphere to call home for four years, and he found that with Penn State. "I like to spend a lot of time with my family," Buddin said. "I think that's really important. I personally think life's too short, so I spend most of my free time with them. "I would always say I need a family en- vironment, and I feel like Penn State was speci7cally the best family environment that I've seen in a football program, no doubt." Buddin, as a person, is goal-driven. Many players his age – and especially those of his talent level – hold dreams of playing in the NFL one day, and Buddin is no di8erent. He has other career accomplishments in mind, though. He wants to receive his master's degree in kinesiology and hopes to knock as many classes out of the way as quickly as he can to make that vision a reality. "I believe that people should be able to do stu8 a9er college that they'll love without focusing on the pay," he said. "Kinesiology has to do with sports, train- ing, physical therapy, and that's some- thing that I enjoy." When he arrives at PSU ahead of the 2021 season, he'll be focused on deliver- ing fans something they'll enjoy, too. "I'm a hard worker, and I'm never going to stop until we reach the top," he said. "I know Penn State has won national cham- pionships, so that's something I'm trying to bring them." ■ | D uring the months in which Penn State's Class of 2021 was coming to- gether, safety Jaylen Reed was o9en de- scribed by his future teammates as the group's jokester. If you were to spend just 10 minutes talking to Reed, you would get that vibe, too. He loves to have fun. But Reed is more than just the life of the party. To the adults who know him best, such as his coaches at Martin Luther King High in Detroit and the people with whom he'll be working at Penn State, he's also an emerging leader. All you have to do is watch one game and you'll see what they mean. He's truly the quarterback of the defense, moving players into position and calling out as- signments. Every team needs a player like that, and Reed said he thinks there's one major reason why he's been able to have success in that role. "One thing I really do well is build rela- tionships with my teammates," he said. "That's something I've always done, ever since I was young. Even my sophomore year, when I just started [on varsity], I be- came a key player and a leader, and a big reason why, I think, is because people trusted me. I became close with everyone early." Reed did more than hold his own that 7rst season, but it was his performance as a junior, when he packed on 20 pounds of muscle and climbed to 195, that really caught the attention of Penn State fans. Playing a variety of positions, including both safety spots, nickel back and even some outside linebacker, Reed racked up 119 tackles, while also forcing four fum- bles and intercepting a pass in 14 games. All-State and All-Metro Detroit honors quickly followed, but it was the scholar- ship o8ers that really spoke to his ability. Penn State happened to be the 7rst Power Five program to see that in Febru- ary 2019, thanks in large part to former assistant Tim Banks, who played at MLK High growing up. Said Reed, "I knew him way before I got an o8er or anything like that. He was always up at King." Over the next year, Reed earned o8ers from more than 30 college programs. He only ended up taking three visits due to the pandemic, checking out Penn State, Georgia and Michigan State. He said that Reed looks to lead PSU's defense to a bright future THE REED FILE STATS Finished with 68 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles in MLK's 10-game 2020 season... Totaled 119 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception in 14 games as a junior HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 22 safety prospect nationally and No. 10 player in Michi- gan... Won All-State honors in 2019 and '20... Made the Metro Detroit Dream Team in 2019 and '20 CLICK HERE to see video of Reed in action. SEE REED PAGE 40