Elite OL prospect Landon Tengwall recaps personal day at Penn State
Penn State hosted one of its top overall prospects in the Class of 2021 for a personal visit Saturday in offensive lineman Landon Tengwall.
With no other prospects on campus this weekend, the Good Counsel prospect had access to nearly the entire offensive coaching staff. Most importantly, Tengwall and his family were given the opportunity to spend all afternoon with new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. During his time at Boston College, Trautwein actually offered Tengwall shortly after his freshman season, but the two didn't begin building a relationship until Trautwein was hired by James Franklin.
“He offered me during my freshman year, but I don’t remember talking to him much,” Tengwall said. “I was joking with him yesterday, telling him he didn’t even really recruit me. He said that I was too big-time for him then, which was funny. We were just joking around.
“But when Coach Trautwein got hired, I actually heard a few days before that it was probably going to be him, so I was doing research on him right away. As soon as he got the job then, we had a real good conversation. I think it lasted 45 minutes. So, I had already started to get to know him well going into yesterday’s visit, and I loved everything we did. He’s a great coach.”
Tengwall said that the biggest takeaway from Saturday’s trip was the time he spent with Trautwein in the film room.
“When I first got there, we did a photo shoot and a few of the things you normally do during these visits, but the biggest thing about yesterday was the time we spent in the film room,” Tengwall said. “I think we were in there for over two hours. My parents sat in the back, too, so they also got to learn a lot about his coaching style.
“We went over so much stuff. We went through all the different techniques that he’s teaching the guys now, so all of that was a great learning experience. I left that room with a much better feel for the kind of coach he is.”
At 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, Tengwall has the body type and athleticism to play either guard or tackle at the next level. That was one thing that the two discussed at length.
"He told me that he sees me as a guy that could play inside, but that I also have the athleticism and the length to play outside," said Tengwall. "That's good for me. If there was an injury or some kind of opening my freshman or sophomore year, I want to do whatever I can to get on the field, so I like that. I don't have to just play tackle. I like having that flexibility and I'm happy he sees it that way, too."
As for his personality, Tengwall said that he also enjoyed getting to know Trautwein and his life outside of football over the past few weeks.
“Since he’s been hired, we’ve been texting every single day,” Tengwall said. “So, I would definitely say that we get along well. We don’t really even talk football all that much, which I like. I want to get to know people for who they are. We’re definitely doing that and it’s going really well. Penn State fans will get to know soon that he’s a freak when it comes to dieting. He never touches sugar, won’t eat fried foods, none of that stuff. The rest of the coaches are already joking around with him about that stuff.”
In addition to Franklin and Trautwein, he also spent plenty of time with Tyler Bowen and new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca.
“We all went out to eat together. Coach Franklin, Coach Bowen and Coach Ciarrocca were also there,” Tengwall said. “Spending time with Coach Ciarrocca was good. He’s funny and a quiet guy, especially when you compare him to some of the other coaches on the staff. You can tell he’s one of those coaches that’s about his business and has a real bright mind. He does all the recruiting and is great to talk with, but you can tell that he’s an X’s and O’s kind of coach.
“Personally, I think that’s great for Penn State. Their staff has a ton of personality, which is what makes them popular, so having a coach like Coach Ciarrocca should only help them. I think he’s going to be great there.”
With Tengwall hoping to make a decision in about two months from now, there’s a chance that this weekend’s visit could be his last to Penn State before he announces. This was his third trip to University Park since October and his 10th visit total since Nov. 2017.
Tengwall does have two additional visits set, both of which will be to Notre Dame. He’s planning to take an unofficial visit with his father to South Bend, March 21-22, then take an official visit there two weeks later, April 3-5. His grandfather is expected to join him for the official visit.
He could take an official visit to Penn State in April, although Franklin and his staff prefer that players save their official visits if possible. Tengwall also made it clear that he's now focused on just the Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish. Michigan is no longer in the mix.
A member of the Rivals100, Tengwall is currently the 35th-ranked player in the nation for the Class of 2021. He's also the sixth-ranked offensive tackle and No. 2 overall in Maryland.
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