Penn State 2026 prospect Elijah Satchell discusses MVP performance at Big Man Challenge, potential fit with program

Football is a game of size. So, when checking prospects at Penn State’s summer camps, it’s normal to start with whichever players literally stand out from the crowd. That’s doubly true when evaluating offensive and defensive linemen, such as the ones at Penn State’s final Big Man camp on June 21 last month.

Our story today starts with a four-star offensive lineman in 2026, Tyler Merrill. At 6-5 319 pounds, even if he wasn’t already near the top of Penn State’s offensive lineman board, he would be the moment he stepped onto campus the first time. We spent the better part of that camp following Merrill to see how he was progressing in his high school development.

But something interesting happened once the camp concluded with one-on-one pass-rushing drills. He began to struggle against a smaller, more unassuming defensive end. Here’s where we first meet New Jersey pass rusher Elijah Satchell .

Satchell Turns heads, wins defensive line MVP award

According to Satchell, the interaction made both of them better.

“I think we just got each other better at the camp. We talked a little bit. And, yeah, I learned a lot. He’s a great pass blocker,” he said.

Satchell is an unranked edge defender from Eastside High School in New Jersey, with offers from Maryland, West Virginia, ECU, Toledo, and Pitt. We started with Merrill to highlight Satchell’s size and recruiting disparity and further emphasize his impressive performance. The relatively unknown pass rusher made waves this summer on the camp circuit, including his time in Happy Valley.

“It was probably one of the best experiences I’ve had,” Satchell told BWI. “I really didn’t know they had [an] MVP award until about the end of the camp. So I was just going and just playing, just going hard, trying to do my best. And thankfully, I got MVP.”

Penn State gets a longer look at Satchell

Not only did his efforts earn him recognition as one of three standout defensive linemen, but he also had the opportunity to work with Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes after the camp.

“That went well. I think I learned a lot from him,” Satchell said. Barnes put Satchell through positional drills, but more importantly, he had an honest conversation about his future and his potential fit at Penn State.

“He verified that I’m a good defensive lineman, but if I wanted to last long there, I would probably have to move to a hybrid rushing linebacker. But it’s LBU, so it’s a great opportunity either way.”

At 6-1.5, 220 pounds, Satchell is currently on the smaller side for a defensive end and is a classic ‘tweener at the position. As he said, Barnes verified what the edge rusher displayed at camp; he has a knack for the position. But that doesn’t change the facts, and unless Satchell hits a growth spurt, he’s in line for a position change. The question, then, would be about speed.

“Yes, that [conversation with Barnes] really has changed my perspective because I know I could play D-end. I know I could do both.”

Satchell is open to the move if Penn State asks

Satchell told BWI that he ran an 11.6 100-meter dash at a dual meet this spring during his first season with the Eastside track team. While the numbers aren’t verified online, he did provide a video as proof. He hopes that his multi-sport approach will give him the tools he needs to play whatever position is best at the next level. Satchell is also a basketball player and thinks his time on the hard court can help him transition to linebacker by helping him understand space and movement as a second-level defender.

“Yeah, and I also think I can develop on that more…because that’s one thing every great linebacker needs.”

What’s next for Satchell

Satchell doesn’t have an offer from Penn State yet, but he’s one that the team will monitor this fall. The Nittany Lions are also high on his list.

“Those are two of the best coaches ever met [Barnes] and Coach [Torrence] Brown and Coach [Khalil] Ahmad, too. Like, those are some really good coaches to be playing for and be around.”

He hopes his hard work on the recruiting circuit this summer will pay off in terms of his performance on the field.

“Last year, I didn’t really use my hands a lot, like when pass rushing. And utilize my get-off. I’ve been working on my get-off all summer because there’s nothing they could do once you get past them. And also, we’re more elusive with my pass rush. You saw me involving spins and all that, that too, and just being more visual and vocal on the defense.”

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