All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. This edition will profile third-year DT Kaleb Artis.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 323 pounds
Hometown: Westbury, New York
Before Penn State: Not a lot of high school football players become four-time team captains, but Artis did that at St. Francis Prep.
He also played well on the field, being rated the No. 2 high school player in New York from the 2022 class by 247Sports and Rivals, the No. 3 New York prospect in ESPN’s rankings and No. 6 player on On3’s list.
A consensus three-star recruit on those sites, Artis committed to Penn State on the 4th of July in 2021, choosing James Franklin’s program over Auburn, Florida State, Notre Dame and Virginia, among other schools.
2022: Artis redshirted his first season but did play in two games.
Last year: Artis played in all 13 games, being used mainly on field goals. Defensively, he ended the season with three tackles, a QB hurry and a half tackle for loss. The coaching staff named Artis its developmental squad defensive player of the week for Nov. 19, before the team played Rutgers.
Where he stands: Penn State isn’t lacking in depth or experience at defensive tackle. Dvon J-Thomas (formally Ellies) and Hakeem Beamon are back for their sixth seasons, and Coziah Izzard is back for Year Five. Zane Durant could play his way into a high NFL draft selection in 2024, and Penn State also has Alonzo Ford slated to return from injury and Ty Blanding back for his second season.
So it won’t be easy for Artis to get a lot of playing time, but his frame could help him get on the field some Saturdays.
A quote by Artis:
A quote by Artis: “A lot of time went into my decision. First of all, it was meeting with family and people who helped me along the way. I think what was super important was making sure it was as close as possible to a perfect fit, and making sure I felt comfortable.” Artis to Lions247 on his commitment.
A quote about Artis: “He is so polite and well-rounded,”— James Franklin on early signing day in December 2021.
