Landon Tengwall the Key to Penn State Football’s 2022 Offensive Line

Landon Tengwall was among Penn State Football’s most heralded members of the Nittany Lions’ 2021 recruiting class and could prove pivotal to the 2022 offensive line 

Landon Tengwall was the top-rated signee in Penn State Football’s 2021 recruiting class and he may be one of the keys to fixing the offensive line struggles in only his second year on campus.

Penn State Football returns only two starters from its original 2021 starting offensive line in 2022, Juice Scruggs and Caedan Wallace. Between that, and the fact that this group struggled in 2021, young guys will be counted on to step up.

Redshirt freshman Olu Fashanu played well in the Outback Bowl in place of the injured Rasheed Walker, so it looks like he is the favorite for the left tackle job as he enters his third season in 2022.

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That leaves two openings on the offensive line, either both guard spots or one guard spot and the right tackle spot, depending on what the plan is with Wallace in 2022. There’s also the unknown with Sal Wormley, who was expected to be the starter at right guard in 2021 before he suffered a season-ending injury late in Fall camp.

This is where Tengwall’s versatility becomes so valuable.

Tengwall filled in at tackle in the Rutgers game when Penn State was short on depth due to a flu outbreak; a week later he saw action again at left tackle against Michigan State. He came back in the Outback Bowl and played at left guard during the second half. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein can put his other pieces at their best position knowing he has Tengwall, who has proven to be capable of holding his own at four positions, at his disposal.

As he spends more time with Trautwein and the strength program this off-season, Tengwall should only get better.

Considering he saw time as a true freshman and looked like one of Penn State’s better options down the stretch, the idea of him getting even better should excite Penn State fans.

Much has been made of the fact that Tengwall was the only offensive lineman who made it to campus as a part of Penn State’s 2021 recruiting class, but if it was only going to be one, it’s hard to make an argument for anyone but Tengwall being the ideal one.

For a young player, Tengwall has already shown plenty of maturity between being the class leader in the 2021 cycle and now performing well as a freshman on the field. That maturity, along with his versatility and athleticism, make Tengwall a prime candidate to help cure Penn State’s 2021 offensive line struggles.