Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M J ames Franklin understands the value of a reliable, highly productive offen- sive lineman. From the start of his tenure with Penn State in 2014, the Nittany Lion head coach hasn't had many. Though Franklin inher- ited Donovan Smith when he took the PSU job, Smith moved on after one sea- son and was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. As such, Franklin is also keenly aware of their rarity. "You always love to be in a position, across the board, where you've got one guy that's really playing at an ex- tremely high level," he said. In left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State believes it has that type of performer on its offensive line this season. Fashanu was recently rated as ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller's No. 5 offensive tackle for the 2023 NFL Draft, a prog- nostication that follows two months of rising expectations for his future. CBS Sports' Josh Edwards has him going to the New York Jets with the ninth overall pick. Chris Trapasso has him going fourth to the Washington Commanders. No matter the media outlet or expert, a consensus has formed that the 6-foot- 6, 308-pound Fashanu, in his first year starting for the Nittany Lions, has that type of elite potential. Getting there has demanded of Fashanu a rare ascent at a position that is difficult to master quickly. Arriving at Penn State during the COVID year of 2020, he saw no action in his first season, rated by the On3 Consensus as a three-star prospect, ranked No. 421 nationally. Even upon making his debut last year, Fashanu was a seldom-used backup to starter Rasheed Walker. He appeared only in games against Ball State, Villanova and Indiana in the first five weeks of the sea- son, and his snap count topped out at 21 combined in those three games. Only after Walker opted out of the Out- back Bowl did Fashanu's first big oppor- tunity arrive. Making his biggest devel- opmental strides on the practice field, he flashed more than enough talent in the game to inspire optimism within the pro- gram that he was ready to boost the line during the 2022 season. "It's harder to come in as an offensive lineman and get on the field than it is for, honestly, almost any other position," Fashanu said. "There's that physical as- pect where not only do you need to be skilled, but you also need to be physically prepared to play other O- and D-lines in college. "I think I've definitely made strides im- proving, and that's all thanks to my team- mates and Coach [Phil] Trautwein and Coach Franklin for just believing in me, just giving me the proper coaching, and consistently letting me know the things that I need to work on." According to the weekly evaluations of Sophomore left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu is gaining notice while leading the offensive line NAT E BAU E R | NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM Elite Potential