Fulfilling need, Jordan van den Berg takes strides at DT
Even before Penn State returned for preseason practices this month, Jordan van den Berg was turning heads. At a position of necessity for the Nittany Lions going into the 2023 campaign, the fourth-year defensive tackle had taken notable strides.
“I think he’s a guy who it’s starting to click with,” strength coach Chuck Losey said in June. “He’s been good in all areas since he’s been here. But now, he’s starting to put all the different pieces of performance together at the same time.
“He’s weighing around 302 pounds right now. He’s strong as a bull. And he’s another guy that just kind of jumps out that I’m really happy with.”
Making a move
More than two months later, van den Berg’s ascendancy hasn’t diminished.
Frequently praised by head coach James Franklin this month for steady improvement, the mindset that van den Berg brought into the offseason has carried over into on-field performance. Appearing as a second-line option at defensive tackle at varying points during camp, van den Berg is expected to contribute.
“It’s an honor that the work is being noticed. And it’s just because the room that I’m in is highly competitive,” he said. “So I’m competing every day in the weight room, on the field, off the field. So just to be in that type of environment, really just pushes me as a person and as a player.”
A big part of that process has centered on van den Berg’s size gains this offseason.
Arriving at Penn State in 2021 after a season at Iowa Western, he’s grown from 275 pounds to now checking in at 309 this month. A number he’d hit before, mentioning that he’d topped out at 310 pounds ahead of the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2022, van den Berg worked to shed bad weight and transform it into muscle, relying on Losey and team dietitian Leanne Louden.
The result has been a lower body fat percentage while improving on his quick twitch movements needed in the trenches. They’re improvements teammates have noticed, too.
“His toughness. He’s physical, he’s strong,” said Zane Durant. “Everybody knows he’s strong, but he’s very tough mentally and physically.”
Next steps for Jordan van den Berg
Now determined to parlay that progress into production as the Nittany Lions gear up for the start of the 2023 season, van den Berg believes he can help fulfill a needed role.
“The room is full of talent. We got a whole bunch of talented guys,” he said. “I definitely see that my role is, of course I’m a little bigger, so I feel like I’m gonna help a lot more in the run game. Because, with us losing PJ Mustipher, I felt like I wanted to try to take that step and gain as much muscle as I could so I could help with those situations.
“I feel like I try to keep as much as my fast twitch to be able to play like the pass and everything. But I’d say with all the talent, we can play anywhere.”
I came in at probably about 280, 275. And now I’m up to 309 pounds. The main thing for me was just sticking in the weight room and really committing myself to our nutrition plan, Ms. Leanne. She really helped me a lot with that, figuring out ways to get snacks in the day, and that just really helped me get to where I’m at right now.
I always wanted to make sure I wasn’t gonna gain fat because when I was in the Outback Bowl, I got up to like 310 pounds. But I was like fat, so I felt slower. So I made sure this time to keep my body fat percentage a certain size because I knew that if I just stayed under that percentage, I’d be good. So just really emphasize gaining just muscles.
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