Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
A P R I L 2 0 2 4 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M But the main question is how the staff plans to get the most out of returning starter Drew Allar. Despite what some fans think, there are plenty of reasons for optimism after last season. While he didn't have the superstar sopho- more campaign that some (yours truly) thought he could, that doesn't mean it can't happen. The goal this year is to simplify the of- fense and reduce the mental processing that Penn State's quarterbacks must do. If the staff is able to use RPO, motion and matchups to get Allar cleaner reads, the difference could be monumental. 4. Offensive Line There's reason for optimism here. The Nittany Lions have built quality depth, especially at tackle, a spot where they were often lean in earlier years. That said, future first-round draftee Olumuyiwa Fashanu is going to be missed. Junior Drew Shelton has spent the past two seasons preparing to replace Fashanu but has been up-and-down as a pass blocker and is recovering from postseason surgery to repair an undis- closed injury. Shelton, who was seen over the winter with his arm in a sling, is out of action this spring. His progress dur- ing the summer months will play a large role in whether Penn State heads into its opener against West Virginia feeling hopeful or concerned about this position group. Redshirt freshman Anthony Donkoh has raced ahead of some other young linemen and has garnered a fair amount of media attention thanks to his mete- oric rise. The Lions also return redshirt freshman J'ven Williams, and they've welcomed another former five-star pros- pect in Nolan Rucci, a redshirt junior who arrived in January via the transfer portal. With Shelton, Donkoh, Williams and Rucci all competing for the two start- ing tackle spots, offensive line coach Phil Trautwein has four viable candidates, at Nicholas Singleton was Penn State's second-leading rusher last fall with 752 yards on 171 carries, and he scored a team-high 8 touchdowns on the ground. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL