BERKELEY – It’s official.
Elijah Reeder will compete in major college football.
The Central Regional High School senior has signed a National Letter of Intent to play defensive end and edge rusher at Penn State University on a full football scholarship.
“I do not know how much a scholarship is worth here,” said Gregory Kincaid Jr., Penn State’s assistant athletic director for Football Communications and Content, “but typically it’s whatever out of state tuition is plus room and board. We do not release player payment details.”
The Nittany Lions are in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), the highest level of NCAA Division I college football in the nation. It features 130-plus schools with 85 scholarships each. It is characterized by high revenue programs, massive stadium capacities and a 12-team televised playoff to determine the national champion.
Following Reeder’s promotion into the Rivals300, he became a four-star recruit, according to ESPN. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder is the Nittany Lions’ top-ranked recruit by Rivals300 and the Industry Rankings.
Reeder signed in the Golden Eagles’ main gymnasium joined by his parents, Mitch and Karolyn, and sister Kira as well as his football, basketball and track and field teammates and coaches with athletics director John Scran.
Reeder originally verbally committed to play for Iowa State University and coach Matt Campbell. However, with Penn State struggling in 2025, coach James Franklin was fired and replaced by interim coach Terry Smith, who had been an assistant coach. Campbell took over for Smith, who remained on the staff as an assistant coach. Reeder and Campbell met for the first time last November at Iowa State.
“I chose Penn State because of coach Campbell, its tradition, the guys and the atmosphere,” Reeder said. “Coach Campbell was always very transparent with the recruiting process. A lot of them (coaches) are like salesmen. Mom and dad loved his transparency. He is a good guy. He runs a strict program. I picked the right guy. Everyone on the coaching staff is very phenomenal. This is a nice fit.
“I am blessed and thankful to announce my commitment to play football at Penn State to continue my athletic career. Thank you to all of the coaches who recruited me and to everyone who supported me along the way. This day is exciting, definitely exciting.”
Campbell is eager to see Reeder in the Nittany Lions’ uniform.
“Great size, great ability,” he said.
“We watched his film and we were really shocked at what his recruitment was like,” Penn State general manager Derek Hoodjer said. “The film was so impressive and the recruitment was so slow.”
Penn State won consensus national championships in 1982 and 1986. The Nittany Lions captured Big Ten Conference titles in 1994, 2005, 2008 and 2016. The Nittany Lions own 13 unbeaten seasons. Founded in 1887, they are 947-414-42 (.690) all-time overall, including 33-21-2 (.607) in bowl games.
Through the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, 393 former Penn State players were selected, ranking seventh among Division I schools. More than 45 ex-Penn Staters were on active NFL rosters entering the 2025 season.
Central coach Jarrett Pidgeon said he is impressed with Campbell, Hoodjer and the remainder of the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff.
“Since they first called us when they were at Iowa State, they were completely transparent and up front throughout the whole process,” Pidgeon said. “My job as a coach is to make sure our guys are going to be taken care of at the next level and I’m not talking about the football aspect. We want them to continue to grow as people so that they can be functioning members in society with a great degree while also building character so that they can be great fathers and members of the community. Coach Campbell and his staff have a great outline on why, what and how they do that.”
Reeder said he offers the Nittany Lions a solid player.
“I am very coachable,” he said. “I will be a dog. Aggressive. Ready to learn.”
Reeder said he owns an 82-inch arm span and a 225-pound bench press.
“I definitely bring length,” he said. “Penn State rotates a lot of guys in and out of the lineup. I will probably redshirt for my freshman year so that I can get a fifth year of eligibility and my Master’s Degree (possible majors are either accounting or business). If I redshirt, I will be eligible to play either four or five games as a freshman. The NFL (National Football League) is my biggest goal. I want to earn my Master’s to be set up for life. That’s the real setup.
Reeder said he chose Penn State over the University of Missouri, Rutgers University, the University of New Haven, Monmouth University and Bryant University.
“The recruiting process was very windey, weird,” he said. “It all happened really late. I knew my coaching staff would land me somewhere. It was a matter of where. Missouri and Rutgers offered me scholarships. I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me it would be like this. I’m so excited to take that next step and get on campus. It feels surreal that I will be playing in Beaver Stadium (which seats 106,304 fans) in the fall.”
“Iowa State studied films of Elijah’s games,” Karolyn Reeder said. “They called us on a Wednesday and we were on a plane to Iowa State around Thanksgiving.”
Kira Reeder, a 2021 graduate of Central where she played three years of junior varsity field hockey, said she has watched her brother play football for a long time.
“It’s been crazy,” she said. “I have watched him play since he was about eight years old. I have watched him play since he was a little boy. This is insane. I see how much he works. He’s an amazing kid.”
Mitch Reeder said his son will be successful at Penn State.
“As long as he stays true to who he is, he will have no problems,” he said. “My concern is academics, but he is a good student (Reeder said he has a 3.50 grade point average) and a good person. There is not much else to say except, ‘We are Penn State. Here we go.’ Coach Campbell is extraordinary, very welcoming. I just want him to take care of my son. They will teach him all sorts of techniques and he will exceed and excel.”
Karolyn Reeder said she is grateful for Campbell’s involvement in her son’s life.
“I am so excited and proud of the opportunity coach Campbell has given us,” she said. “We are blessed for Elijah to be part of his rebuild at Penn State. We are so blessed and excited for this opportunity. All moms are afraid their sons will get hurt playing football. Elijah has worked hard. He’s coachable. He puts into play what his coaches tell him to do. Elijah built camaraderie with his teammates. He loves the sport of football.
“Elijah has never been to any other high school. He grew up in this school system (the Central Regional School District). I am real excited for Central Regional High School. Other high schools recruited Elijah. Some kids go to bigger public schools. A shout out to Central Regional High School. The community is proud.”
“We’ve had studs come out (of Central), but nobody’s really done what I’m doing,” Reeder said. “These kids need to know you can still stay public and still succeed and play at a big collegiate level. Coaches are going to find you no matter what.”
An estimated 60 of Reeder’s teammates turned out for the ceremony late on a school day.
“It was a nice turnout,” Reeder said. “All of the guys who have supported me the whole way are here.”
One supporter was Central senior Dayton Frulio, who was a teammate of Reeder’s in the Berkeley Township chapter of American Youth Football. Frulio, who undergoes chemotherapy for brain cancer, wore Penn State gear.
“This is just really exciting,” he said. “He’s going to my favorite college team. He’s my best friend. He’s a really good friend. Funny. Nice. He always reaches out to me when I need anything. He’s outgoing.
Frulio said Reeder brings athleticism to sports.
“He’s very athletic,” Frulio said. “Fast. Relentless. Physical. You will never catch him not working hard. You look at him as a college coach and you are like, ‘I need him.’ I am not surprised he is going big time. I knew he would get big time offers. I hope to see him playing in a big game against Rutgers, Ohio State and Michigan. He is a lot stronger, a lot faster and a lot more relentless than he was in AYF.”
Frulio was impressed with a Reeder dunk for coach Mike Clemente earlier this season.
“It was all over Instagram,” he said. “He just caught the ball and dunked with a two-hander over an opponent. I was like, ‘Geez. It’s something I don’t see every day.’ He is very good defensively. You can rely on him in the paint. You pass it to him and he dunks it right in or hits a layup.”
Reeder, who also competes in track and field for the Golden Eagles, starred in football last fall as a defensive end, leading the team in sacks (eight) and adding 19 assists. He was second on the club in tackles for yards lost (15) and fifth on the team in solo tackles (30). He added 30 solo stops. He forced one fumble and recovered one fumble.
As a tight end, he caught 10 passes for 93 yards and rushed for 40 yards and six touchdowns on 15 carries as Central was 8-2 overall and 4-1 in Shore Conference Class B South, finishing second to Southern Regional. He paced the team in overall touchdowns (six) and two-point conversions (three). With Reeder in the lineup, Central was 8-2 in 2024, sharing the Class B South championship with Southern and Toms River South at 4-1.
“We think Penn State is getting what we like to call a Triple Threat – a great student, a great athlete and someone of great character,” Pidgeon said. “This is something we strive for all of our athletes to be when they leave our program. He is an explosive athlete with tremendous potential and upside. We are very excited to see where the next level takes him not only as an athlete, but as a student to get one of the best degrees in the country.”
Flesh punishing sessions in the weight room and specialized nutrition await the lanky Reeder.
“To play at this level of college football, Elijah is going to have to put on size,” Pidgeon said. “This is something we have talked about as he has progressed over the years. He has the frame to add anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds and still keep his speed. As a three-sport athlete in high school, we get a brief period of time to work on moves and counter moves at the edge rusher position. Twelve months of work solely focused on football will be a tremendous upside.
“Elijah has an explosive first step, which gives him the ability to cover a lot of ground with his stride length. He plays the game of football violently and uses his hands extremely well. His athleticism is noticeable not only on the gridiron, but slamming alley-oops on the court and being a 6-foot high jumper in the spring (for coach Charles Bauer). He has bought into our weight lifting culture and had some explosive lifts of 250 hang-cleans heading into the football season.”
Reeder, who played four seasons of football for the Golden Eagles, started at defensive end as a sophomore on the varsity team.
“We moved him up to the varsity as a freshman to get him around better competition to polish and jump start his progression because he was physically able,” Pidgeon said. “His junior and senior years were his breakout years. We occasionally flexed him out to wideout to create mismatches. He played defensive end in our four-down and three-down fronts. Because Elijah had the ability to run with great lean and aggression, he exploded on the stat sheet as a wildcat running back, at times taking direct snaps out of the gun.”
Assistant football coaches James Plummer and offensive coordinator Frank Backle have played large roles in Reeder’s development.
“Plummer coached Reeder on both sides of the ball,” Pidgeon said. “Backle found unique ways in exploiting Elijah’s talents whether it be blocking, running the ball from out of the backfield, running routes from an in-line tight end spot or finding him a way to get him matched up with a cornerback when he was flexed out. As the head coach, I also call the defense. Our staff tried to put Elijah in different places throughout the game to make opposing coaches account for him.”
Pidgeon said he has seen Reeder grow as a player and a person.
“He has grown just like you want to see any of your kids grow within your program,” Pidgeon said. “His body and mentality have changed and he is a winner. I think the confidence he walks around with is something that has completely changed, but that comes from hard work. You believe in yourself when you know how much work you have put into something. He has always had a strong support system at home, making sure his academics were up to par and behaving himself inside and outside of school.
“Elijah was a catalyst along with our ’25 and ’26 graduation classes for changing the trajectory of our program and getting it back on track to be well respected within the Shore Conference. We had back-to-back 8-2 seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances in (NJSIAA) South Jersey Group IV, which is no small task.”
NOTE: The shoresportsinsider.com, X and @TDS contributed to this report.
