Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M son. Heading into his junior year, he's another player who could make a big jump with a proper preseason under his belt. 9. Derrick Tangelo — Sr.+, DT Another transfer portal addition, Tan- gelo will combine with P.J. Mustipher to form an experienced duo of interior defensive linemen. He contributed 38 tackles for Duke last year and also showcased strong pass-rushing skills as a defensive tackle, pressuring opposing quarterbacks 18 times and coming away with two sacks. 10. Keyvone Lee — So., RB Where would Penn State have been last season without Lee? The running back depth chart was torn to shreds 10 plays With only 16 members, two of whom have already exited, Penn State's 2021 recruiting class was easily the smallest of the James Franklin era. But just because the Nittany Lions didn't bring in a lot of players doesn't mean the class isn't capable of making an early impact at Penn State. The five players listed below seemingly have a good chance to help the Nittany Lions as soon as this fall. KALEN KING — CB Anytime James Franklin breaks from his usual repertoire of broad generalities to instead deliver an absolute — as he did when he said Kalen King is the most advanced freshman he's coached while at Penn State — you have no choice but to take notice. King's path to playing time will be a difficult one, as he has the misfortune of joining what is by far the deepest secondary Penn State has produced under Franklin. But still, given his preseason buzz, it's difficult to see him not making an impact in 2021. LANDON TENGWALL — OL Picking offensive linemen to play early is always risky, but in the case of Tengwall, it doesn't quite feel that way. He was Penn State's top-rated recruit in the 2021 class and the No. 8 offensive tackle nationally. It seems like the plan in preseason camp is for Tengwall to play that tackle spot, but he's certainly versatile enough to fill in elsewhere if needed. He came into Happy Valley with a Big Ten-ready physique, and that will allow him compete for a role as a depth option on the offensive front. KOBE KING — LB Like his brother Kalen, Kobe King's high school experience in an advanced system at Cass Tech in Detroit gives him a leg up on the mental side of the game as he looks to garner some early playing time. King is an exciting four-star linebacker recruit, tabbed by Rivals.com as the No. 15 prospect at that position in his class. King walks into a linebacking corps that lacks depth, so he should get plenty of op- portunities to claim some playing time early in his career. LIAM CLIFFORD AND HARRISON WALLACE — WR Perhaps this is cheating the system a bit, but Clif- ford and Wallace both warrant inclusion on this list simply because of Penn State's lack of a clear option for a third wide receiver behind Parker Washington and Jahan Dotson. Clifford and Wallace both might need a bit of time to get integrated into the college game, but they could put themselves in position to earn some snaps with an impressive camp. JAMARI BUDDIN — LB Like his classmate Kobe King, Buddin has an opportunity to see the field early in his career. At 223 pounds, he'll likely need to add some weight. But he's comfortable playing physically and that should translate well to the college game. With Penn State in need of depth at linebacker, it wouldn't be surpris- ing to see Buddin make some plays this season. — David Eckert These Five Freshmen Have A Shot To Play Early PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL 3 0 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1