Tag: Olu Fashanu

Penn State’s Class of 2023 recognized for offensive line strength

247Sports says Penn State’s offensive line effort paid off in the Class of 2023

Penn State made a concentrated effort to beef things up on the offensive line in the Class of 2023. After locking down commitments from three four-star linemen in the early signing period, the Nittany Lions capped the recruiting class with one more four-star player for the offensive line on the traditional national signing day this week with the addition of Chimdy Onoh. As the recruiting classes around the country settle as it looks like Penn State’s class is now complete barring any potential transfer portal adjustments moving forward, the effort made with the offensive line is being recognized in the recruiting roundup summaries.

247Sports took a look at a number of the recruiting classes that best improved their school’s rosters, with the idea that not every recruiting class needed to attack the same positions in order to improve the roster. For instance, Penn State got the help it needed at some skill positions in the Class of 2022 with players like running backs [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], so the focus on those positions in 2023 was not nearly as pressing. Instead, Penn State worked on the offensive line that will allow those players to continue to shine in 2023 and beyond.

Penn State’s offensive line was the key area of improvement highlighted by 247Sports, and it is understandable why. With [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] deciding to return next season, along with [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] and [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag], the Nittany Lions have the look of a solid offensive line going into the 2023 season, but the Class of 2023 will help keep things stabilized for big offensive line play after the 2023 season.

Here’s what 247Sports had to say about Penn State’s offensive line focus in the Class of 2023;

Penn State solidified its future along the offensive line with four bluechip signees, including two interior players and two offensive tackles. The Nittany Lions grabbed two of the top six tackles, with Alex Birchmeier (6-5, 285) leading the pack as the nation’s No. 2 player at the position. Fast riser Chimdy Onoh, a four-star tackle, picked Penn State over Michigan State on National Signing Day, providing yet another boost to an impressive class. Onoh’s meteoric rise through the 247Sports rankings in December was somewhat surprising. He went from an Old Dominion commitment in mid-December to garnering multiple Power Five offers in a matter of days as a four-star prospect. Most of the attention he generated was from the Big Ten and SEC. He entered National Signing Day as the nation’s No. 13 offensive tackle prospect.

The 247Sports summary goes on to highlight the idea that the new additions to the offensive line will not feel the pressure of being thrown into the mix right away. The returning linemen for Penn State will allow the Class of 2023 signees to take some time to develop and being fully prepared for their roles on the line, but knowing that any one of them could step in early if needed is a luxury as well.

Penn State signed the top-rated player in Pennsylvania with [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] at offensive tackle, the top-rated player in Virginia with [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag], and another top 10 player from Virginia with [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] in the early signing period. Onoh joined the class this week on the traditional signing day.

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ESPN’s way-too-early preseason All-Americans for 2023

Penn State’s biggest offensive player returning in 2023 highlights on ESPN’s way-too-early All-American list

If way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2023 season are now a thing of the past, then it is supposedly on to predicting the way-too-early preseason All-Americans for 2023. ESPN has released its list of the way-too-early 2023 All-Americans for next season, and one of Penn State’s top players coming back next fall made the cut.

Offensive tackle Olu Fashanu was the only Penn State player to make the list of way-too-early All-American predictions from ESPN. Fashanu was one of two Big Ten players on the offensive line to be highlighted by EPSN, with Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter being the other.

Other Big Ten players on the offense include Michigan running back Blake Corum and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton was the only Big Ten player named on defense.

Here is what ESPN said about Fashanu;

Penn State has a talented nucleus of returnees on offense, and the 6-6, 308-pound Fashanu will be back for his redshirt junior season at left tackle. He was in his first full season as a starter a year ago and blossomed as both a pass protector and as a run-blocker. There was some thought that Fashanu might turn pro, but he said he had unfinished business with the Nittany Lions. He gives quarterback Drew Allar much-needed comfort on his blind side as Allar takes over the starting quarterback duties.

Fashanu surprised many in the NFL draft community when he announced he would be returning to Penn State for another season in 2023. Fashanu had been viewed as a potential first-round draft pick in the scouting community, so his decision to return for another season with Penn State threw a few curveballs at the mock drafts. It also gives Fashanu a chance to improve his draft stock to be an earlier first-round draft pick possibility, but it also could be a risk for his draft outlook.

Either way, Penn State is getting back a big piece on the offensive line to help protect [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and allow the running duo of [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] continue to shine on the ground in 2023.

You can view the entire list of way-too-early All-Americans for 2023 from ESPN here.

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Penn State a winner at NFL draft declaration deadline

247Sports called Penn State a winner after the NFL draft declaration deadline, and it’s easy to see why.

The deadline for college football players to declare for the NFL draft has officially passed, and Penn State looks to be among the schools sitting in a good spot as the deadline passes by as we look toward the 2023 season. 247Sports profiled Penn State among their draft declaration deadline winners, and it is easy to see why.

Penn State got a big lift with the return of offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag]. Fashanu’s decision to return for another season caught many by surprise and had an immediate impact on the mock drafts out there. Had he gone to the draft, Fashanu was being viewed by draft analysts as a potential first-round draft pick. His return to Penn State gives the offensive line some great stability and continuity as the offense moves to a new starting quarterback in [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and hopes to continue to watch the young running back dup of [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] take its next steps.

But the defense is also bringing back a couple of key pieces next year with linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] confirming they will be back in blue and white in the fall.

Penn State is losing a couple of key players from the 2022 roster to the 2023 NFL draft process. Cornerback [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft prior to knowing Penn State would be playing in the Rose Bowl, and thus opted out of the bowl season entirely to begin focusing on his draft prep. The decision was hardly a surprise given he likely would have been drafted in 2022 had he gone pro and he could end up being a first-round draft pick in this year’s draft if things work out.

Wide receiver [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] suffered a season-ending injury late in the year, which made it pretty easy for him to sit out the bowl season and focus on what’s next for him at the next level. Washington also declared for the 2023 NFL draft as Penn State was preparing for the Rose Bowl. Washington’s departure for the NFL with eligibility on the table was expected for a while.

With what is coming back to the roster in 2023 and what is expected with some new faces taking on increased roles, and coming off a big victory in the Rose Bowl, Penn State has a lot to look forward to and a good amount of hype it will have to prove worthy of receiving once the season kicks off in the fall.

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Sporting News way-too-early top 25 slightly less optimistic about Penn State in 2023

Sporting News is slightly less optimistic about Penn State’s outlook in 2023 compared to other way-too-early rankings

It seems that most of the way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2023 season are suggesting Penn State will be in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff hunt with rankings sitting just outside of the College Football Playoff. The Sporting News also sees Penn State having a top-10 worthy season but is coming off slightly less optimistic about its ranking next season.

The Sporting News’ way-too-early top 25 ranking released this week places Penn State at no. 9 in its look ahead to the 2023 season. That is a few spots lower than similar way-too-early rankings released by 247Sports and ESPN, for example. But it may be unfair to suggest Sporting News thinks Penn State won’t be as good as the other rankings suggest. It may be more of the fact Sporting News is more optimistic about some other programs than the other outlets have been.

The top four in the Sporting News ranking are similar to most others with Georgia and Alabama taking the top two spots and Michigan and Ohio State each ranked ahead of Penn State. But Sporting News has USC, TCU, LSU, and Tennessee all ranked ahead of the Nittany Lions.

Here is what Sporting News had to say about Penn State in 2023;

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] broke the losing streak against top-10 teams with Penn State’s impressive 35-14 victory against Utah in the Rose Bowl. Now, the [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] era at quarterback begins, and running back [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] seems primed to be one of the best running backs in the country. Tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] is back, too. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] returns a solid unit that features [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag]. This might be their best team since the 2016 Big Ten championship team. Michigan visits Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions have to win at Ohio State. The stakes have not changed.

Penn State going 2-0 against Michigan and Ohio State would in all likelihood put Penn State firmly in the playoff picture, as long as it avoids a speedbump elsewhere on its 2023 schedule. But just earning a split between the two teams could be enough to factor into Penn State having a shot at the Big Ten title, and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time. But the assessment is correct in suggesting Penn State has to do some damage against the Wolverines and Buckeyes if it wants to take the next step toward a playoff berth.

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Start time for 2023 Blue-White Game announced

Penn State has announced the start time for this year’s Blue-White spring game.

We already knew what day the Penn State Blue-White Game was going to be played. Now we know the scheduled start time.

On Tuesday, Penn State announced the official start time for this year’s spring game, the highlight of the weekend in State College. Penn State’s annual Blue-White Game will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 15.

It is unconfirmed at this point in time if the game will be available for viewing on the Big Ten Network or any other network, but that information will be made available at a later time.

Penn State will head into the 2023 Blue-White Game with a rising sense of optimism surrounding the team after an 11-2 season with a victory in the Rose Bowl to cap things off. Penn State finished at no. 7 in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25, and the Nittany Lions are a trendy top 10 pick already in the various way-too-early top 25 projections for next season.

Penn State will return some key pieces on defense with the returns of [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] and [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] to go with the rising stardom of players like [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. The offense will continue to build confidence in the running game with [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] leading the way behind an offensive line that will return [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and introduce some new stars in the Class of 2023 with [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag]. And, of course, this spring will see [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] step into the leading role at quarterback as the successor to Sean Clifford, who leaves Penn State after rewriting the school’s record book for the past six years.

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Beau Pribula joins NIL partnership with Tesla perk

Penn State QB gets to drive a Tesla in new NIL partnership

In December, four Penn State players signed on for an NIL partnership with a York-based construction company. The big perk of the deal was getting the keys to a Tesla with the company’s name branded on the side. Now, backup quarterback [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] has joined the NIL partnership.

The NIL partnership is with Inch & Co., a construction company based out of York, PA. The deal is good for one year, where Pribula will get to drive around State College advertising Inch & Co. in a Tesla. Not bad!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnK7dFVOyt0/

Last month, Inch & Co. signed on four Penn State players for the same one-year partnership. Those four players were [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag].

It sure seems like this construction company hit on some big names for Penn State heading into 2023. Fashanu surprised many by deciding to return for another season to play on the offensive line. Allar is expected to be the team’s starting quarterback, with Pribula backing him up. King continues to prove to be one of the top defensive players on the roster after his second complete season, and Carter has quickly made an impact living up to the Linebacker-U standard.

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247Sports’ way-too-early top 25 for 2023 predicts big year for Penn State

The hype is already mounting for Penn State football in 2023 with the 247Sports way-too-early top 25.

The final chapter in the 2022 college football season will be written Monday night with Georgia and TCU squaring off in this season’s College Football Playoff national championship. And that means it’s time to dive headfirst into the way-too-early top 25 rankings from various media outlets as we quickly look ahead to the 2023 season. And after winning 11 games with a victory in the Rose Bowl, the bar has officially been raised for Penn State next fall.

247Sports released its version of the way-too-early top 25 for the 2023 season, and it predicts Penn State will be right in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Penn State comes in just on the outside looking in on the playoff field, however, with a way-too-early ranking of no. 5.

“On paper, this looks like it could be [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]’s most talented team in Happy Valley and is the first of three Big Ten squads inside our way-too-early top 5,” 247Sports suggests.

Yes, despite the lofty placement in the rankings organized by the staff at 247Sports, Penn State still comes in just behind the same two teams that stood in front of it in 2022, Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes are no. 4 and the Wolverines are no. 3 in the 247Sports way-too-early top 25. The only other teams at the top of the poll are Alabama (no. 2) and Georgia (no. 1).

There is a lot to like about what Penn State could potentially do next season. With a good mix of rising star players on both sides of the football like running backs [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], Penn State already has playmakers in place on both sides of the line of scrimmage. And it will be bringing back some key players opting for another season including offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag].

And then there is the successor to Sean Clifford at quarterback, [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]. Allar is being widely regarded as one of the top quarterbacks ever to be recruited by Penn State, and scouts and analysts are equally excited to see Allar be the guy for the Penn State offense moving forward.

Penn State’s schedule is also a bit favorable as they will have to play at Ohio State but will get Michigan at home. The 2023 season begins with a home game against West Virginia on Sept. 2.

It will all be here before you know it, and it could be a fun season.

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Penn State offensive lineman announces end of football career

Penn State offensive lineman Bryce Effner says he will not be back for another season.

Penn State offensive lineman Bryce Effner will not be coming back for another season in Happy Valley, nor will he think about pursuing a career at the next level. According to a statement Effner posted on his Instagram account on Sunday, Effner is officially moving on from football entirely after finishing off his run in State College with a Rose Bowl victory.

“These past five years at Penn State have been some of the best years of my life,” Effner said. “I will always cherish the memories and relationships made. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to end such a special chapter of my life in such a memorable way. However, it is time for me to step away from the game I love.”

Effner played five seasons at Penn State as a redshirt senior this past season. He would have been eligible for a sixth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA for all student-athletes iom[acted by the COVID season of 2020, but Effner is seeing this as the right moment to walk away as his own decision.

“Capping off my career with a Rose Bowl victory is something not many are lucky enough to say,” Effner said in his statement.

Penn State’s offensive line may miss his veteran presence but the unit looks to be in pretty good shape moving forward into 2023 and beyond. [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] announced he is returning for another season despite being a rising NFL draft prospect, and the Nittany Lions just landed some massive recruits for the offensive line in the Class of 2023 with [autotag]J’Ven Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag].

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What Penn State players made ESPN’s top 100 players of 2022?

Joey Porter Jr. one of a few Penn State players on ESPN’s top 100 players from 2022 list

With just one game remaining in the 2022 college football season to crown this year’s national champion, ESPN has ranked the top 100 players from the sport we saw in 2022. And among the top 100 players ranked by ESPN, three of them wore the blue and white uniforms of Penn State.

Penn State had two of its top defensive players, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Ji’Ayir Brown, and its top offensive lineman, Olu Fashanu, recognized on ESPN’s list of the top 100 players from the 2022 season. Compared to ESPN’s list of the top 100 players prior to the start of the season, Fashanu and Brown each worked their way into the top 100.

Porter also made a big move up ESPN’s ranking this season. After starting the season ranked no. 75 on ESPN’s top 100 players in the preseason ranking, Porter ended the year at no. 30.

Here is where ESPN ranked all three players and what it had to say about each.

Report: Olu Fashanu out for Rose Bowl

Penn State’s best offensive lineman has been ruled out for the Rose Bowl.

Penn State’s offensive line is set to be in a physical battle against Utah’s defensive front in the Rose Bowl, but it appears the return of a key lineman will have to wait until the start of the 2023 season.

Olu Fashanue, who previously announced he would be returning for the 2023 season before potentially leaving for the NFL, will not play in the Rose Bowl. Despite going through some light portions of the team’s pregame warmups, Fashanu was ruled out for the game as first reported by Pete Thamel of ESPN, via Twitter.

Other members of the Penn State beat would go on to report Fashanu was not in pads with the team as the start of the Rose Bowl neared.

In the absence of Fashanu, Drew Shelton will continue to anchor the left tackle position for the Nittany Lions, as he has done in the last five games Penn State has played without its rising offensive line talent.

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