Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
1 8 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M F or perhaps the first time in the James Franklin coaching era, Penn State's offensive line is get- ting set to enter the season as one of the team's biggest strengths. Fourth-year junior left tackle Olumuy- iwa Fashanu, a potential top-10 pick in next year's NFL Draft, is the unit's big- gest name, but the Nittany Lions boast a wealth of experience at most positions, with six linemen on the current roster having started multiple games. That number swells to double dig- its when taking into account how many members of position coach Phil Traut- wein's room have seen game action so far. The attention and excitement have been well earned, but if the Nittany Lions are going to reach their potential, all of their linemen — young and old, experi- enced and inexperienced — will have to execute at a high level on a weekly basis. That's why it's not hyperbole to suggest that the fate of the group will hinge on the performance of super senior center Hunter Nourzad. In recent years, the Nittany Lions have been blessed with a succession of solid players at this crucial position. Connor McGovern, Michal Menet, Mike Miranda and Juice Scruggs have all snapped for the Lions since the program's turnaround in 2016. McGovern has been in the NFL since 2019, and Scruggs is set to join him this fall after having been drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans in April, the payoff for an outstanding senior season as PSU's full-time starting center. Now, it's Nourzad's turn. The Marietta, Ga., native transferred to Penn State during the 2022 offseason after starting out at Cornell, where he played right tackle and earned All-Ivy League honors. He began his first PSU season as a rotational player at left guard, but then starter Landon Tengwall got hurt during warmups prior to the Nittany Li- ons' game at Michigan last October. The injury turned out to be a season-ender for the redshirt freshman, and Nourzad became the starter. He ended up playing in 11 games and starting eight. According to Pro Football Focus, Nourzad allowed only 2 sacks and 8 quar- terback hurries in his first season at the Power Five level, while being flagged just once. He mostly played guard (earning 535 snaps on the left side, per PFF) but did also get some work at center (17 snaps). It was enough to set the stage for his move to snapper this season. Highly Adaptable During the winter and spring, Nourzad worked to master his new position. The center spot poses its own unique set of challenges, but Nourzad has moved around often enough in his career that he's become a highly adaptable lineman. "Going from right tackle to guard was a change, and guard to center is a change as TAKING TAKING CENTER STAGE CENTER STAGE After an encouraging debut season, Hunter Nourzad looks to anchor Penn State's offensive line in 2023 G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G. P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M