One of the biggest strengths Penn State had to look forward to entering the 2023 season was the offensive line. In the 10 years with James Franklin as the head coach, this is expected to be the best offensive line the program has had after years of rebuilding the quality depth for the line through recruiting efforts and continued development. That outlook took a little bit of a hit just days before the start of the regular season with the news of the sudden retirement of Landon Tengwall.
Tengwall announced his retirement from playing football due to a result of an injury he described as one that would prevent him from continuing to play safely. Tengwall was projected by many to be a starter at left guard alongside returning starting left tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag]. Now, a new opportunity to start is up for grabs.
Who will start at left guard now?
The most likely name to move into a starting role will be [autotag]JB Nelson[/autotag]. Nelson is a redshirt junior and one of the many players to come through the Penn State program as a JUCO transfer from Lackawanna College in Scranton. Penn State has had success with their Lackawanna College transfer additions with players like Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown on the defensive side of the football. Nelson has been praised for his development and was expected to be the first name on the depth chart behind Tengwall. Moving him into a starting role seems like the most natural move for James Franklin and offensive line coach [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag].
Franklin’s comments in his Wednesday post-practice media availability suggested fans should see Nelson getting the starting nod this Saturday as the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in the season opener.
With Landon Tengwall retiring, JB Nelson is expected to start at LG for PSU vs. WVU. James Franklin on Nelson last week: "You can make the argument he may be our most physical offensive lineman. I know talking to our defensive linemen, they’ve got a lot of respect for him."
— Johnny McGonigal (@jmcgonigal9) August 30, 2023
If Nelson is going to be the new starting left guard, the entire offensive line is still looking to be in good shape across the line. Here’s how it may look:
- LT Olu Fashanu
- LG JB Nelson
- C Hunter Nourzad
- RG [autotag]Sal Wormley[/autotag]
- RT [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag]
By moving Nelson up to the starting job, Penn State will be slightly more vulnerable with guard depth. [autotag]Vega Ioane[/autotag] is the top backup as a redshirt freshman, but Penn State did just add [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] in the Class of 2023. Birchmeier was among the top offensive line recruits in the class and is expected to be a big piece of the future offensive line. Whether he is ready to be a top backup option at the start of the season remains to be seen.
Penn State also added [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] in the Class of 2023, and he would be another backup option at guard if needed. With Tengwall retiring and Nelson likely moving into the starting job, Donkoh’s position on the depth chart may have been boosted up faster than Birchmeier as he has been working the left guard position since his arrival (Birchmeier has played on the right side).
Penn State still has what appears to be the best offensive line of Franklin’s career despite losing Tengwall. And the efforts on the recruiting trail in recent years have ensured the Nittany Lions have quality backup options in play, even if a couple are considered raw and untested to start the season.
Penn State opens the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a primetime matchup on NBC against West Virginia.
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