Villanova Football Pledge Kraemer Elevated to 3-Star

Few FCS recruits end up with a star next to their name: recent Villanova football greats like Shane Hartzell, Isas Waxter II and Christian Benford all came to the Main Line as unranked prospects.

2026 Wildcats pledge Jackson Kraemer, a 6-foot-3, 260 pound defensive end out of Mt. Lebanon (Pa.), is one of five players in the upcoming class who will help change that, however. 247Sports recently upgraded him to a three-star recruit, the Wildcats’ recent run of success helping them land bigger fish for the future. He accumulated 16 sacks over a three-year varsity career, playing around the defensive line for Mt. Lebanon.

Kraemer committed to Villanova over the summer, choosing the Wildcats over teams like JMU, Duquesne and Robert Morris. Popping up on recruiting boards — 247Sports ranks him as the No. 83 player in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — could catch the eye of bigger Division I programs, but the fact that he picked Villanova over JMU, an FBS program, bodes well for their chances.

Kraemer played on both sides of the ball in high school, getting snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle in addition to playing the offensive line. He also played on Mt. Lebanon’s basketball team, a testament to his athleticism. Defensive coordinator Ross Pennypacker’s 3-3-5 scheme hinges on athletic defensive linemen capable of controlling the line of scrimmage and confusing opposing offenses with unique blitz schemes and coverages.

Kraemer’s height might make him a better fit as an interior lineman, but he’s right on the cusp of being able to fit at either position: he told Philadelphia Sports Now over the summer that Villanova’s coaching staff hadn’t settled on a spot for him yet, but his practice performance once on campus should help clean that up.