Commitment breakdown: Four-star Kaleb Artis picks Penn State
Like many prospects in this class, the pandemic really derailed what was looking like a promising fall and and spring for four-star Kaleb Artis. The defensive lineman out of Queens, N.Y. has grown significantly since the beginning of the pandemic and his stock as a recruit has been going up ever since. Luckily, Artis did have a short three game season in the spring before taking official visits to Auburn, Penn State, and Virginia in June. The Nittany Lions did enough to secure Artis' commitment, providing a big boost to their front seven.
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WHAT THE NITTANY LIONS ARE GETTING
Artis is a big, strong defensive lineman with great length and quick feet. He does a nice job driving his lineman backwards before disengaging and chasing down the ball carrier. Artis has the skill set to become a serious interior pass rushing threat because he can collapse the pocket or slip his blocker and use his quickness to pressure the quarterback. Adding strength and holding up at the point of attack is where Artis will see the steepest learning curve.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR PENN STATE
James Franklin and his staff jumped to the lead position when they offered Artis and nobody was able to to catch them. Penn State has done a great job recruiting players like Artis in the past and it would have been surprising to see them let Artis get away. His addition to their defensive line rotation will really help down the road. Artis has a ton of potential and the strength and conditioning staff could help turn him into a physically dominant interior lineman.