Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
3 0 F E B R 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 KEY LOSSES Olumuyiwa Fashanu | Sr. Expected to be the first Penn State offensive lineman since Levi Brown in 2007 to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Fashanu was a con- sensus All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2023. His rise was meteoric, and even though he started only 20 games at the college level, he will likely go down as one of the best offensive linemen in school history. Hunter Nourzad | R-Sr.+ Transferred into the Penn State pro- gram from Cornell ahead of the 2022 season. Nourzad was a tackle in the Ivy League but was moved to guard at Penn State and started eight games in his first season in State College. He then moved center in 2023 and started every game there this past season. While snapping was an issue early last season, he was mostly reliable over the past two years and was a solid portal pickup. Ibrahim Traore | R-Jr. Made his first game appearance in four seasons at PSU when he saw ac- tion against Massachusetts in October. A former three-star recruit, Traore en- tered the transfer portal in January. Caedan Wallace | R-Sr. Enjoyed a productive Penn State ca- reer despite drawing the ire of fans at times during his lengthy tenure in State College. The New Jersey native started 40 games at right tackle over five sea- sons. He was rarely hurt and played as many snaps as anyone, which was a testament to his durability. Wallace got better as the years went by. He saved his best season for last in 2023, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten notice from the coaches and media. KEY RETURNEES Alex Birchmeier | R-Fr. Did not see any game action in his first season with the Nittany Lions, preserv- ing his freshman eligibility for 2024. Nick Dawkins | R-Sr. Served as the Nittany Lions' backup center in 2023. Dawkins came in late in the Peach Bowl to gain experience while giving Nourzad a breather. He has appeared in 26 games since 2020 but has mostly been confined to a special teams role. He'll fight for the top center job in 2024. Anthony Donkoh | R-Fr. Played as well as any Nittany Lion in the Peach Bowl while taking every second-half snap at right tackle in place of Wallace. Penn State moved him from guard to tackle during bowl prep and it paid off in a big way. Donkoh will try to earn the full-time first-team right tackle job in 2024. Olaivavega Ioane | R-So. Started four games at right guard this past season, rotating with JB Nelson for first-team reps. Depending on where Nelson ends up in 2024, Ioane could land a starting role. Or the two could battle for time again. Either way, having both at a first-team level is a good issue for Penn State to solve. Golden Israel-Achumba | R-Sr. Has appeared in 12 games during the past three seasons, mostly on special teams. JB Nelson | R-Sr. Has settled into a productive role as a swing tackle who can also play guard. Nelson's versatility means that he will compete for a first-team spot inside and outside, with right tackle or left guard be- ing the most likely landing places. He saw 417 snaps in 2023 and earned eight starts at guard after playing 125 snaps in 2022. Chimdy Onoh | R-Fr. Saw action on 17 snaps in two games Nittany Lions Have Some Rebuilding To Do Up Front JB Nelson is one of Penn State's most versatile linemen. He could end up starting at tackle or guard in 2024. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT OFFENSIVE LINE