High school teammate of Penn State QB follows Tom Allen, commits to Clemson

Despite a recruitment interwoven with connections to the Penn State football program, Kaden Gebhardt has decided not to take the next step of his career in Happy Valley. On Tuesday, the four-star Olentangy (OH) safety announced his commitment to Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.

The No. 15 safety in the 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports, Gebhardt is former high school teammates with Nittany Lions backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Gebhardt included Penn State in his top four last month and recently set up trips to Happy Valley to check out the Nittany Lions during spring practice.

A significant factor in Gebhardt’s decision was former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who left Penn State football to take the same role with the Tigers this winter. Allen was one of the first coaches in on the Ohio safety while he was still a member of James Franklin’s staff.

“My relationship with Coach Allen and [safeties] Coach [Mickey] Conn are great,” Gebhardt told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “Love everything about the program and the campus. Love where they see me playing and dominating in their defense. I trust the coaches.”

Penn State football continues to hold a top-10 recruiting class in 2026. However, the Nittany Lions have entered a quiet spell on the trail, picking up their last commitment in January. The eight-person class lost a commitment from three-star wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford two weeks ago.

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