After losing freshman defensive tackle T.A. Cunningham to the Transfer Portal in December, Penn State has found his replacement in the Class of 2024. Former Michigan defensive tackle Owen Wafle announced his commitment to James Franklin and the Nittany Lions on Saturday evening.
The 6-foot-2, 298-pound Wafle toured Penn State last weekend before the Nittany Lions headed to the Orange Bowl in Miami. He also visited Oklahoma, Rutgers, and Wisconsin, and traveled to North Carolina after new Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick visited his former high school earlier this week.
Wafle officially entered the portal last Thursday, just two days after Michigan wrapped up its season with a victory over Alabama in the Reliaquest Bowl. He didn’t see any playing time during his freshman season in Ann Arbor, granting him four additional years of eligibility.
A Class of 2024 prospect from the Hun School in Princeton, N.J., Penn State did not offer Wafle out of high school but hosted him for a visit in April 2022. He committed to Notre Dame shortly after that visit but later switched to Michigan following an official visit to Ann Arbor in June 2023. Boston College, Duke, Iowa, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, and West Virginia were among the schools that extended offers out of high school.
“Owen Wafle is a bulldog, a guy who can take on blocks and be physical at the point of attack,” On3 Rankings Director Charles Power said during his recruitment. “He’s at his best as a run defender and plays at a high effort level. He probably projects best inside, but we’ll see where he gets from a weight perspective. But he understands leverage and plays with a high level physicality.”
Owen is the older brother of Luke Wafle, a top defensive end prospect for Penn State in the Class of 2026. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound edge rusher is ranked No. 198 nationally and No. 2 overall in New Jersey for his class.
