Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
2 6 J U N E / J U L 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 wrapped up spring prac- tice in mid-April, and while fans got to see the Nittany Lions in action during the Blue-White Game, the annual offseason showcase offered only a brief glimpse at how the team is shaping up in its preparations for the 2024 season. Starting in March, the Lions partici- pated in a physically demanding series of practices that left them shorthanded by the end. Some key players were miss- ing for a portion of the spring, and one potential starter — junior tackle Drew Shelton — sat out contact drills entirely while recovering from surgery to repair an undisclosed injury. One positive develop- ment for Penn State, however, was that the accumulation of minor injuries pro- vided an opportunity for others to display their potential. What follows is BWI's assessment of the offensive and defensive players who helped themselves the most during winter workouts and spring practice. Offense Olaivavega Ioane: Ioane may have put together the top performance among all offensive linemen from practice No. 1 to practice No. 15. Of course, availability helps. The 6-foot-4, 342-pound redshirt sophomore was sturdy and in the lineup for most if not all of spring practice. Ioane started out at left guard, with redshirt senior JB Nelson seeing ac- tion at both guard and tackle. Nelson got hurt, which meant that Ioane's rep share stayed steady throughout the spring. Stock Stock Watch Watch These 10 Penn State players are trending up after coming on strong during spring practice S E A N F I T Z | S E A N . F I T Z @ O N 3 . C O M