Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / O ffensive line coach Phil Trautwein has emerged as one of Penn State's best re- cruiters in recent years. In the 2025 class, Malachi Goodman will end up the highest-ranked offensive lineman of the group, but the addition of four-star Connecticut prospect Owen Aliciene was also a massive win for the Nittany Lions. The Cheshire native paid his first visit to Penn State in March 2023 when he attended a spring practice session. By that point, he had already vis- ited Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville and Pitt, but the feeling he got in Happy Val- ley was unmatched. When the Nittany Lions decided to of- fer him two months later, they instantly became the team to beat. "After I first visited, I kind of thought that this was the place I would like to go," Aliciene said. "Then, when they offered me in May, I defi- nitely had the mindset that Penn State was my No. 1 offer. As other offers kept coming, I couldn't really pick one that I wanted to go to more than Penn State. It was pretty easy for me, honestly." Duke and Rutgers also hosted him in the months that followed, but when Al- iciene returned to Penn State in January 2024 for his fourth visit, he had seen enough. Before heading home, he com- mitted to James Franklin and his staff. "I think Coach Franklin's program re- ally replicates what my coach has built here at Avon and what he really preaches to us, which I really like," Aliciene said. "He emphasizes education, which is really important to my family. He was talking about how for everyone on the team, there's no option not to graduate. If you're going to go there, you're going to be there until you graduate, which I think is important. "I also think that they're heading in the right direction. When it comes to the recruits they're getting and the development they do, I think they can develop me just as good or better than anyone in the country. I really trust Coach Trautwein and Coach Franklin." While Trautwein knew he was get- ting a rare athlete for someone his size, Aliciene showed just how special he is in June 2024 when he put up some eye- catching numbers at Penn State's camp. Not only did the Avon Old Farms prospect run a 5-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, he also turned in a sub-4.8-second shuttle and a 9-foot broad jump. Just for compari- son, those numbers were all better than the ones that former five-star prospects J'ven Williams and Cooper Cousins posted the summer before their senior seasons in high school. "His bench-press max this winter was 300 even," Avon Old Farms head coach Jon Wholley said of Aliciene in January 2024. "His squat is around 435 or so. Hopefully, by the time he's going into college, he'll be around a 330-bencher and close to a 500-pound squat. For a taller, lanky kind of kid, he has pretty good strength already. That'll only get better when he gets to Penn State." — Ryan Snyder The 6-foot-7, 255-pound Aliciene ran a 5-second 40-yard dash at a Penn State camp last summer. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER OWEN ALICIENE Connecticut offensive lineman boasts uncommon athletic ability OT | 6-7 | 255 Avon Old Farms Cheshire, Conn. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry HHHH 357 27 2 On3 HHHH 230 17 2 247Sports HHHH — 26 2 ESPN HHH — 50 4 Rivals HHH — 67 6 Statistics • Avon Old Farms went 21-11 during Aliciene's three seasons at the school Notable • Earned first-team All-Founders League honors as a senior • Team captain his senior season • Enrolled at Penn State in January Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Jan. 21, 2024 • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein • Picked Penn State over Boston College, Duke and Pitt • Officially visited on June 14, 2024 2025 Projection Aliciene is one of the most athletic offensive tackles Phil Trautwein has landed since com- ing to Penn State ahead of the 2020 season. However, he's only played football for three seasons and is listed at 255 pounds. We ex- pect him to redshirt next fall, but if he's able to improve his technique and fundamentals, Aliciene is gifted enough athletically to play in the NFL one day. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "I just really like the movement skills. I think he's got a good bit of natural athletic ability, and when you're looking at offensive linemen, you're looking for frame, movement skills and functional power. I think he showed all that." T H E A L I C I E N E F I L E