Recruit Rewind: Detailing OL Caleb Brewer's path to Penn State

Penn State football welcomed three mid-semester enrollees and a transfer on the offensive line for the spring semester. That group has just completed its first winter workout session, with spring break and spring practices coming shortly thereafter.

Caleb Brewer, among the six offensive line recruits committing to the Nittany Lions’ Class of 2024, wasn’t among them. Rather, as an elite high school wrestler with all-state credentials, he has unfinished business to take care of.

Brewer, who did not enroll early to pursue a wrestling gold medal at heavyweight in his final prep season, will compete for a spot in the PIAA tournament on Friday at the Class 2A Southeast Regional event in the Lehigh Valley.

In that vein, we continue our look at all 25 of Penn State football’s Class of 2024 additions. Today, we’ll recap offensive lineman Caleb Brewer’s path to becoming a Nittany Lion.

Caleb Brewer
Offensive line
6-4, 280
Wyomissing
Reading, Pa.

Rankings	Stars	National	Position	State
On3 Industry	***	579	53	13
On3	***	N/R	72	17
ESPN	***	N/R	39	11
Rivals	***	N/R	27	15
247Sports	***	N/R	41	13

Statistics

• Helped Wyomissing amass a 15-1 record with a district crown during his junior season, following it with another in 2023 as a senior and a 14-1 record.

Notable

• Was a Pennsylvania Class 3A All-State Football selection.
• Three-year letterwinner at Wyomissing, with all-conference honors on both the offensive and defensive line.
• Also an all-state selection as a heavyweight wrestler for Wyomissing, notching a school record for pins in one season.

Recruitment

• Committed to Penn State on April 15, 2023
• Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein
• Picked Penn State over Michigan and Notre Dame. Other offers included NC State, Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, Duke, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, among many others.

Projection: Like most offensive linemen upon an enrollment at Penn State, Brewer is likely headed for at least a year of development in the weight room before an opportunity would arise for him to make a contribution. Though pegged initially as a player who could be versatile enough to play at defensive tackle, the expectation is for him to play offensive line with the Nittany Lions.

BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: “Brewer is a rare player who falls into the ‘all of it’ category for movement skills. Speed? Brewer is one of the fastest linemen Penn State has recruited in some time. Agility? Acceleration? Brewer shows all of those skills from the first snap you watch on film. He has a great frame to add more weight and play at a Big Ten level. Brewer delivers some highlight-level blocks thanks to his great combination of size and speed. There isn’t an apparent reason preventing him from playing around 310 pounds (minimum) at Penn State.”

Get to know Penn State OL Caleb Brewer

By the time Caleb Brewer made it to the Blue-White Game last spring, he’d seen enough. Following in the footsteps of fellow Berks County players to land at Penn State including J’Ven Williams, Joey Schlaffer, and Nick Singleton, the Wyomissing area product had made his decision.

Enough, in this case, was an appreciation for what Penn State could deliver to his academic experience as a Nittany Lion.

“I learned how much coach Franklin is invested in academics and players succeeding in life, not just in football. I really liked that,” Brewer told Blue-White Illustrated. “He was basically saying that kids will get their masters before they [leave Penn State]. He said that if you come here, then you are getting your degree. I really liked that, because education is important to me.”

According to Wyomissing assistant coach Steven O’Neill, the sentiment resonated through and through for Brewer during the recruitment process.

Initially comparing his options of Duke, Michigan, and Notre Dame to that of Penn State, the academic side was a priority Brewer largely saw elsewhere. But, upon an unofficial visit to see the Nittany Lions in January of his junior year, his perceptions changed dramatically.

“It changed everything for him. I don’t think he realized how important academics were to Coach Franklin. That made a huge impact on him and his recruitment,” said O’Neill. “I don’t think he realized that Penn State had similar standards to Michigan and Notre Dame. It really did change everything for him.”

Described as “a bull” on the field or any competition, also a notable wrestler throughout high school at Wyomissing, Brewer brings a competitiveness and athleticism at what’s expected to be an interior offensive line position. 

“I could see him as a guard or as a defensive tackle. He plays with such physicality and a nastiness,” said O’Neill. “One thing I love is that he always finishes. Sometimes he’ll play through the whistle. As long as he doesn’t get called for it, I love it. When you watch his highlights, he also does a great job blocking one guy and then transitioning to the next.”

Set to join the Penn State program later in the spring, Brewer will soon bring those qualities to the Nittany Lions.