High school teammate of Penn State QB names Nittany Lions as finalist for commitment

Penn State football is making a push for a top 2026 defender who is already quite familiar with Nittany Lions backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Last week, four-star Olentangy (OH) safety Kaden Gebhardt narrowed his list of prospective programs to four schools, including Penn State.

Clemson, Ohio State, and Wisconsin are the other teams still vying for Gebhardt’s commitment. Gebhardt has traveled to Happy Valley twice in the last six weeks: first for the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff matchup against SMU and again on January 25. He’s also visited Clemson and Columbus in the past month.

NEWS: Class of 2026 Safety Kaden Gebhardt is down to 4 Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 195 S from Lewis Center, OH is down to Ohio State, Clemson, Penn State, & Wisconsin

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/frISuitahJ pic.twitter.com/uEiMz21ujt

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 28, 2025

The Lewis Center, Ohio, product shared the high school gridiron for two seasons with backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. The rising sophomore elevated into the No. 2 role under center for Penn State football this postseason after Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal.

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Gebhardt picked up his offer from the Nittany Lions last June. He is currently the No. 17 safety and the No. 8 prospect from Ohio (No. 215 overall) in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Penn State football currently holds nine commitments in 2026. The group is ranked No. 3 nationally in 247Sports’ 2026 class rankings.

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