Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1512721
1 2 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu was expected to earn plenty of recognition following his final regular season as a Nittany Lion. The first of those honors arrived on Nov. 29 when PSU's standout senior was named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year by the Big Ten. Fashanu was also a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. Only one previous Nittany Lion had ever won the league's Offensive Lineman of the Year trophy before Fashanu claimed the award. Center A.Q. Shipley was saluted in 2008 before go- ing on to play 12 seasons in the NFL. Fashanu has long been projected as a first-round pick. He would likely have been taken early in this year's draft, but he decided last December to return to Penn State in 2023 to focus on his education and improve his skills. He went on to finish the regular season as the highest-graded blocker in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus. "The number one thing for me was getting more reps and experience and working on my technique in the run or pass game," Fashanu said in early November. "I definitely feel like I've improved on those." Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein said he was impressed with Fashanu's performance this year but acknowl- edged that the 6-foot-6, 317-pound offensive tackle still had areas in which he could improve. "He's playing at a high level, [and] he's working on the things he needs to work on: his punch, anchor, footwork and pad level," Trautwein said. "He's playing really consistently and has continued to get better and better. That's his mindset, to show everyone he can do that week after week." It was not clear as of early December if Fashanu planned to play in the Lions' bowl game. Even if he does, it's likely that sophomore backup Drew Shelton will see the majority of the action at left tackle. When Fashanu was hurt last year, Shelton was called upon to fill in, finishing out the season as the starter and passing up the opportunity to redshirt. With Fashanu and redshirt senior right tackle Caedan Wal- lace both making Penn State's top five in terms of snaps taken this past season, Shelton's role was reduced. Nevertheless, he was the backup on both the left and right sides and played 313 snaps over 10 games. He surpassed 60 snaps in two games during the regular season and played 27 snaps in the season finale against Michigan State. Given that experience, it's clear that Shelton is the Nittany Lions' left tackle of the future. Fashanu, meanwhile, will move on soon to the NFL Combine with an eye toward locking in his top-10 draft status. ESPN analyst Field Yates recently listed Fashanu as the top offensive tackle in the 2024 draft class. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a glaring hole in Fashanu's game," Yates wrote. "He's fleet of foot, has excellent length, plays with suddenness to adjust and shows excellent power. … He's a Pro Bowl-level talent in the NFL." ■ Olumuyiwa Fashanu Named Big Ten's Top Offensive Lineman 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 Fashanu received a grade of 78.6 from Pro Football Focus during the regular season, best among Big Ten offensive linemen. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL