Tag: Olu Fashanu

Best Penn State photos from Big Ten football media day

Check out the photo gallery of Penn State’s representatives from Big Ten football media day.

Indianapolis was the scene for Big Ten football media day, and Penn State is hoping to make a return trip at the end of the season for the Big Ten championship game. The media day festivities showcasing the Big Ten and half of the conference’s coaches and players got underway on Wednesday, July 26, with Penn State’s representatives taking time to talk about the team, conference, and more as we look deeper into the start of the 2023 college football season.

James Franklin was joined by three of his top upperclassmen and leaders for the 2023 season; offensive lineman Olu Fashanu, defensive lineman Adisa Isaac and safety Keaton Ellis.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s representatives and more from Big Ten football media day.

ESPN calls Olu Fashanu a ‘serious contender’ to go no. 1 in 2024 NFL draft

ESPN calls Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu a ‘serious contender’ to go no. 1 in the 2024 NFL draft.

When Penn State offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu decided to return to Penn State for one final season of college football in Happy Valley, it was a stunning decision across the NFL draft universe. Fashanu had been considered a likely first-round draft pick for the 2023 NFL draft had he declared for the draft. Instead, Fashanu will return to college football as one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. Could he be the first pick in next year’s NFL draft? ESPN says it is not an impossible scenario.

ESPN put potential top draft picks into various tiers for the 2024 NFL draft to determine which players are the most likely to be considered for the top pick. Fashanu landed in the exclusive “serious contender” category with just three other players, two of whom are quarterbacks.

“Quarterbacks understandably dominate the top of the draft board going into the season, but if a team that currently has a young signal-caller lands the No. 1 selection and can’t move down the board, Fashanu would likely be in consideration,” ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid explained.

And that certainly does make sense. Two of the other serious contenders for the top pick, according to this story from ESPN, are quarterbacks Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina. Quarterbacks will always be the top priority for NFL franchises, but not every team is in need of a quarterback. Oftentimes, the next best move is to add some protection for the quarterback. That is where Fashanu comes into play as a possible top pick.

Fashanu is certainly gambling a bit by coming back for another season of college football. Passing on what would likely have been first-round money is often difficult to do. But Fashanu coming back for lead to an even greater payday down the line if he lives up to the draft hype this fall. It’s one thing to be a first-round pick. It’s a whole other ball game to be the first pick.

Even if Fashanu is not the first pick overall, his being hyped as a possible candidate to go first suggests he could still be taken with one of the first few draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft. Of course, it all depends on the individual team needs for the teams coming up in the draft order.

Penn State has had two players in school history selected with the first overall pick in an NFL draft. Ironically, neither of them were a quarterback. Ki-Jana Carter was the first pick in the 1995 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, and defensive lineman Courtney Brown was the first pick in the 2000 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 74 Olumuyiwa Fashanu

What may be Penn State’s best offensive line under James Franklin starts with the return of Olu Fashanu at left tackle.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

Today we take a look at perhaps Penn State’s top NFL draft prospect on the roster in 2023, offensive tackle [autotag]Olumuyiwa Fashanu[/autotag]. Fashanu’s decision to come back for another year of college football was a surprising one for NFL draft experts who had Fashanu as a likely first-round draft pick in 2023. That should be great news for Penn State’s offensive line outlook, which looks to be its best under James Franklin heading into the fall. IT starts with the return of Fashanu. Here is a snapshot look at Fashanu heading into the 2023 college football season.

Top 2024 NFL draft prospect Patrick Paul talks Chris Paul, professional future

Patrick Paul is the younger brother of Commanders guard Chris Paul.

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The Washington Commanders need a young left tackle for the future. Charles Leno Jr. is entering his 10th NFL season in 2023 and third with Washington. While Leno is a serviceable player, Washington fans were accustomed to seeing Chris Samuels and Trent Williams man the left tackle position.

Leno will start at left tackle for the Commanders in 2023, but depending on what happens with Sam Howell at quarterback, left tackle is expected to be a major focus area for Washington in 2024.

Fortunately for the Commanders and other teams that need a left tackle, the 2024 NFL draft should have plenty of good options. Joe Alt [Notre Dame], Olu Fashanu [Penn State] and JC Latham [Alabama] are all top options that could go in the top 10. Fashanu would be a contender for the No. 1 overall selection if not for the expected entries of quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Alt is a top-five prospect himself.

Another offensive tackle to watch is Patrick Paul of Houston. Paul is a 6-foot-7, 315-pound prospect with 32 career starts on his resume. He has outstanding size and prototypical length to play left tackle at the next level. He’s also the younger brother of Commanders guard Chris Paul.

Chris Paul was a four-year starter at Tulsa, playing all across the offensive line. A seventh-round pick by Washington in the 2022 NFL draft, Paul is competing with Saahdiq Charles to start at left guard in 2023.

Patrick Paul certainly appreciates the path his brother paved for him.

“It’s definitely great because he’s been there and done that,” Paul said, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston. “He’s someone I can ask about the process. It hits home. I’m very proud of him. It’s motivation for me. Now, I have to prove myself and hopefully get there with him. He’s leading the way. When it’s my turn, I know what to do.”

The younger Paul is a two-time first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection and will play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl next January. The Senior Bowl is the top showcase for draft-eligible players.

While the size and talent are there, it’s the younger Paul’s mentality that sets him apart.

“Keep him away from the quarterback; no one gets past me,” Paul told Wilson. “My offensive line coach fosters that it’s a big thing to finish and go past the whistle. I play the game with that dog mentality.”

Patrick Paul has a chance to make a lot of money in 2023, and, who knows, perhaps he could join his brother on the left side of Washington’s offensive line in 2024.

 

 

Commanders land left tackle in 2024 NFL mock draft

In this way-too-early mock draft, the Commanders land a young left tackle.

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The Washington Commanders entered the 2023 NFL offseason with major needs on the offensive line. Washington understood its need, signing G/C Nick Gates and RT Andrew Wylie on the first day of free agency to start in 2023.

In the 2023 NFL draft, the Commanders selected center Ricky Stromberg and offensive tackle Braeden Daniels in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

Still, some believed that Washington still hadn’t done enough to improve the offensive line. One idea was the Commanders badly needed to draft an offensive tackle early, with the idea to move Wylie inside to guard and Sam Cosmi to left guard. However, Washington appears content heading into training camp with a starting lineup [left to right] of LT Charles Leno Jr., Saahdiq Charles or Chris Paul at LG, Gates [at center], RG Cosmi and RT Wylie.

The problem is Leno will be 32 next season and struggled at times last season. Leno isn’t as bad as some online will tell you, but the Commanders need to add a young offensive tackle.

In a new 2024 NFL mock draft from Tankathon, the Commanders pick at No. 6 and select Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

The 6-foot-8, 315-pound Alt started for the Fighting Irish as a true freshman at left tackle. He started again at left tackle in 2022. He is only 20 years old and is the son of former Kansas City offensive tackle John Alt. Alt played 13 NFL seasons — all with the Chiefs — and is a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame.

Olu Fashanu of Penn State is widely expected to be the top offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL draft. However, in this mock draft, Fashanu is already gone. Alt would be an excellent consolation prize for Washington.

The unfortunate aspect of this mock draft is the Commanders are picking at No. 6. If Washington ends the season bad enough to pick at No. 6, don’t be surprised if the Commanders, under a new owner, make a bold move for a young quarterback.

Phil Steele’s preseason All-Americans and All-Big Ten rosters feature multiple Nittany Lions

Phil Steele includes a number of Penn State players on his preseason All-America and All-Big Ten rosters for 2023.

You know the dogs days of summer are essentially upon us not because schools are letting out for the summer and grills are firing up for some evening cookouts and pools are being splashed in, but because the college football preview content is beginning to overflow with information for the upcoming 2023 college football season. Among the highlights of the summer preview season is when the iconic Phil Steele begins sharing his preseason All-America and all-conference teams, and this week saw the unveiling of his All-Big Ten roster. Needless to say, it includes a good number of Penn State players for the 2023 season.

Offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and defensive back Kalen King headline the preseason accolades by appearing on the preseason All-America roster from Steele. The two standouts are projected to be potential first-round draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft, with Fashanu surprising many with his decision to return to Penn State for one more season after being projected as a possible first-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Linebacker Abdul Carter, entering his sophomore season in Happy Valley after a brilliant freshman debut, appeared on Phil Steele’s third-team preseason All-America list. Sophomore running back Nick Singleton also makes the preseason-All-America cut for Steele, although he does so on the fourth team. Not bad for two of Penn State’s top freshmen from a season ago.

All four of the players mentioned are locked in to Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten team, as you would expect. Fashanu, King, and Carter all appear on the first-team preseason All-Big Ten roster from Steele, and Singleton makes the second-team All-Big Ten cut.

Joining Singleton on the preseason All-Big Ten second team are linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag], defensive end Adisa Isaac, and long snapper [autotag]Tyler Duzansky[/autotag] all received third-team All-Big Ten honors from Steele. Cornerback Johnny Dixon, who is expected to be a leading candidate to lock down a starting job this fall, was included on Steele’s fourth-team preseason All-Big Ten roster.

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USA TODAY Sports post-spring top 25 has Penn State in College Football Playoff position

Where is Penn State ranked in the USA TODAY Sports post-spring Top 25?

Could Penn State make its first College Football Playoff in program history? That is certainly the hope and goal for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions heading into the 2023 season, and according to one post-spring top 25 projection, Penn State could indeed be looking forward to a playoff appearance.

USA TODAY Sports released its post-spring practice top 25, and Penn State landed a lofty position as the fourth-ranked team in the country. Two-time defending national champion Georgia was an easy pick at the top of the poll, and two-time defending Big Ten champion Michigan comes in second according to this post-spring ranking. But after third-ranked Alabama comes Penn State, which may be surprising to some.

The biggest improvement for Penn State that has elevated them into this projected playoff position is the development on the offensive line. From USA TODAY Sports;

One area where Penn State has made huge gains in the past several seasons is on the offensive line, seemingly an area of concern throughout coach James Franklin’s tenure. Led by All-America left tackle Olu Fashanu, this year’s group has a case for being counted among the Big Ten’s best thanks to increased depth and experience. They’ll lead the way for a young but immensely gifted backfield with quarterback Drew Allar taking over for Sean Clifford and running back Nicholas Singleton ready to be one of the nation’s best. If Allar can meet his expectations, the Nittany Lions could be the best team in the Big Ten.

It’s fair to suggest that the biggest thing that has separated Penn State from being on the same consistent level as Ohio State and Micigan has been the line of scrimmage battles, most notably with the offensive line. But the surprising return of [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] is a big boost to an offensive line that showed improvement last season and continues to grow with talent and depth.

Throw in the dynamic running back duo of [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and the high expectations for sophomore quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] taking over the reins of the offense following in the footsteps of Sean Clifford, and things are looking pretty good for Penn State’s offense.

Other teams ranked in the post-spring top 25 from USA TODAY Sports after Penn State included Florida State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Texas, and USC, respectively.

Iowa (no. 14) and Wisconsin (no. 25) are the only other Big Ten teams to be included in this ranking.

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4-Star OT Garrett Sexton commits to Penn State

Penn State adds another big piece for the offensive line in the Class of 2024 with latest commitment from Garrett Sexton.

It may be NFL draft week but for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff the work never stops when it comes to building a winner. They skipped the coffee and started their work week by getting a commitment from 4-star Wisconsin offensive tackle recruit [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag].

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound recruit decided to commit to Penn State over Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. He visited Penn State in March and had recently completed a visit to Oklahoma. Despite that visit and the pressure from his home state Wisconsin Badgers, he decided to head to State College to continue his football career.

Sexton is the 11th player to commit to Penn State as a part of their 2024 recruiting class that currently ranks eighth nationally and third in the Big Ten according to 247 Sports. He joins Donovan Harbour who committed last week as the second player to be in the class from the state of Wisconsin. They could add a third with running back Corey Smith set to announce his decision on Friday as he is currently crystal balled to Penn State.

In the 2024 class at his position, Sexton joins [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Brewer [/autotag]as offensive tackles who will be coming to State College. Penn State may have to thank [autotag]Olu Fashanu [/autotag]for spotlighting the position as the top-ranked NFL prospect at the position heading into the 2024 NFL draft.

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Which Penn State players can be future NFL draft picks?

What current Penn State football players will be future NFL draft picks?

Ever since [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] took over as the head coach at Penn State in 2014 they have seen their players become NFL players more often. We have seen players such as [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag], [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], and this year [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] all go in the first round or be projected to be drafted that high.

Becoming a first-round player in the NFL is not something that happens very often for players even if they are highly-ranked recruits. Coaching staffs and competition play a major part but also it comes down to the physical development of the player.

Looking ahead as we enter the week of the 2023 NFL draft, Penn State has just one player who is being projected in the first round but what about in the years to come? Some of those players can already be identified or projected to be drafted highly by the NFL.

5 Things to watch in Penn State’s spring game

Penn State’s Blue-White Game is this week. Here are five things to watch.

Football is in the air in State College in the month of April, and it is that time of year once again for the annual Blue and White Game.

Penn State’s spring game has taken it up a notch in previous years under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and this Penn State team is coming off one of its best years in program history. With that comes expectations being raised and more eyeballs on them.

It all starts in the spring game as mentioned but it can all be boiled down to five things that need to be looked at in the Blue and White Game.