Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / O F F E N S I V E L I N E M E N / / / / / / / By the midpoint of the 2022 season, those results were overwhelmingly ap- parent. Multiple media outlets show- ered Fashanu with praise, a reflection of his growing stature in the minds of NFL scouts. Without much warning, he had be- come a top player at one of the game's most valued positions as a redshirt sophomore, with some observers pro- jecting that he would be one of the lead- ing offensive line prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. According to one NFL scout, Fashanu was trending as the top tackle in the draft and a top-10 overall selection. "He's a check-all-the-boxes guy — high character," the scout told ESPN's Pete Thamel. "He's a surefire high pick. It's an easy evaluation." 'A Win-Win Situation' The evaluation might have been easy, but the season itself was about to get harder. In the fourth quarter of Penn State's 44-31 loss to Ohio State on Oct. 29, Fashanu suffered what would turn out to be a season-ending leg injury. Admittedly dejected, he said he turned his attention to helping his teammates, specifically Drew Shelton, a true freshman who was called on to start Penn State's final five games in his absence. Fashanu didn't dwell on his football future initially, but after the regular sea- son concluded, he and his parents met with Franklin to discuss his options. On track to graduate in December 2023, Fashanu could return to play for the Nit- tany Lions as a centerpiece of a highly anticipated, nationally competitive sea- son. Or he could take the next step and continue his career in the NFL. Franklin said later that he delivered a straightforward message to the family, telling them, "He should leave." Fashanu and his parents felt differently, though. Their plan had been for him to spend four years at Penn State, and he wanted to follow through on it. "It was presented as a win-win situa-