Through four weeks of this offseason, Penn State has experienced nearly 20 player moves related to the Transfer Portal, the 2021 NFL Draft and an NCAA offer of additional eligibility for 2020 seniors. The program encounters another pivotal moment for personnel development this weekend, welcoming seven new scholarship freshmen.
“We really just want to get there and help. We talk about it all the time,” incoming offensive lineman Landon Tengwall said. “We just wanna get to campus and help get this program back to the top of the Big Ten.”
Tengwall is the top-rated member of a 2021 Nittany Lions recruiting class that presumably remains incomplete with a traditional February Signing Day still ahead. As currently constructed, it’s a collection that includes 15 prospects who signed in December, and essentially half of the group is heading to Happy Valley for January enrollment after early high school graduation.
Following a Penn State season that featured an historically brutal opening span and ended with a four-game win streak, these newcomers are intent on doing their part to help build toward future success.
“I think it added a little bit of motivation and ambition for us,” quarterback Christian Veilleux said. “Seeing the guys go 0-5 was tough — I won’t lie. We didn’t like it, but we knew our class would have an opportunity to come in and make a difference. We don’t want that to happen again and we’ve set goals for ourselves. I don’t think anybody really thought about de-committing throughout that whole season. Everybody just got closer and closer, so our class is pretty solid.”
Tengwall and Veilleux are among headliners in an early enrollment group that features representatives from five states and a two nations — Veilleux is the latest product of Penn State’s impressive Canadian pipeline. The remainder of freshman additions will join them later this year.
Listed in alphabetical order, here’s a player-by-player rundown of the newest Nittany Lions set to begin their collegiate careers…
