Penn State’s top NFL draft prospect, offensive lineman Olu Fashanu, has been ruled out of Saturday afternoon’s Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. Fashanu has reportedly opted out of the bowl game, bringing his collegiate career to an end as he takes the next step forward of playing in the NFL.
Fashanu declared early for the 2024 NFL draft leading up to the Peach Bowl but did not confirm his plans for the Peach Bowl. Fashanu went through practices leading up to the game and traveled with the team to Atlanta, and he is on field for pregame warmups with his teammates, but he was officially listed as out on Penn State’s player availability report, which is mandated by the Big Ten hours before kickoff of a game.
Penn State OT Olu Fashanu, ruled out, is warming up with the rest of the team prior to kickoff against Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/cEENhypegx
— Seth Engle (@bigsengtweets) December 30, 2023
Fashanu is considered a first-round draft pick and could go in the top 10 of the 2024 NFL draft according to various draft experts and mock drafts. His absence from the offensive line is not totally unexpected for the Nittany Lions, as it was likely he would not play considering his potential draft outlook.
Penn State will also be without top cornerback Kalen King, who could also be going off to the NFL. Johnny Dixon was also a notable name included on Penn State’s list of players ruled out for the Peach Bowl.
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