Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / O F F E N S I V E L I N E M E N / / / / / / / pounds, he now carries it much differ- ently. Ioane has no problem being physical in the trenches while also being some- one Kotelnicki thought could move well enough to be used as a motion man in some short-yardage running game pack- ages a year ago. More of that is a possi- bility in 2025, but even if that part of his responsibility stays the same or dimin- ishes, you're going to see plenty of in- stances where he moves rapidly through a hole as a pulling guard before blasting an opposing defensive end or linebacker. It's one of the many reasons why so many are excited about what he could do this fall. A soft-spoken player — at least with the media — Ioane said he's been working throughout the offseason to continue his upward trajectory. "For me, it's all the little things, tech- nique stuff, and just watching more film and shots," he said. "Traut's been doing a lot of good things with me and all the guards in the room. For me, it's [a matter of] coming in every day with the right mindset and the right work ethic, and be- ing present and coming in and working as hard as possible." As an added bonus beefing up Ioane's profile this year, he can also play center. So, in theory, no matter what happens on the interior this season, he is versa- tile enough to move wherever he may be needed. "In my mind, he's one of the top guards in the country," Trautwein said. "He's working. He's competing. I first played him a little bit at right guard to start spring ball, and then now he's back at left guard. So we're just making sure he's more versatile. He's going to play center, so we're just making sure he can play all three." He's not the only offensive lineman making that a priority this offseason, of course. Super senior Nick Dawkins re- turns to lead the team at center. Left tackle Drew Shelton enters his senior season. And, while Penn State has yet to say ex- actly what it will do at right tackle, some sort of a rotation between redshirt sopho- more Anthony Donkoh, who is returning from an undisclosed lower-body injury, and redshirt senior Nolan Rucci, who played well in the postseason a year ago while his teammate watched on crutches, figures to be in the cards. The only new starter is likely to be sophomore Cooper Cousins, who played plenty a year ago to prepare for a shot at filling the vacancy at right guard created by Sal Wormley's graduation. Penn State also enters the year with plenty of depth. Redshirt sophomore J'ven Williams can play guard and center and will be relied upon as a key backup in- side and out. Classmate Alex Birchmeier took a needed step forward this offseason. And there are many players a year younger than those two who are steadily improv- ing and waiting in the wings for any op- portunity — be it special teams work or mop-up duty — that might come their way. Put it all together, and you have what amounts to perhaps the most hyped Penn State offensive line in years. If it reaches those expectations, they, and the Lions, will like where they end up this fall. ■ BY THE NUMBERS 5 Number of returning offensive line- men with at least 400 snaps last fall. That quintet consists of guard Olaivavega Ioane (985 snaps), center Nick Dawkins (978) and tackles Drew Shelton (970), No- lan Rucci (614) and Anthony Donkoh (447). 5.26 Penn State's average yards per carry last season. It was the fourth-highest single-season mark in program history, and it led the Big Ten while ranking 16th in the FBS. 8th Ioane's place on Pro Football Focus' list of the top interior offensive linemen in the country in 2025. As a group, PSU's line received an honor- able mention nod from PFF. Quick Facts Position coach: Phil Trautwein (sixth season) Returning starters: Nick Dawkins (16 career starts), Anthony Donkoh (10), Vega Ioane (21), Nolan Rucci (6), Drew Shelton (22) Departing starters: Sal Wormley Top reserves: Alex Birchmeier, Chimdy Onoh, TJ Shanahan, J'ven Williams, Don- nie Harbour, TJ Shanahan Jr. Newcomers: Owen Aliciene, Malachi Goodman, Brady O'Hara, Michael Trout- man III 2024 vs. 2025: Stock Up Or Down? Penn State's offensive line was pretty good a year ago, which makes this a more dif- ficult question to answer compared to years past. Still, this is a stock-up preseason for offensive line coach Phil Trautwein's group. Four of five starters return to make up what is not only one of the most experienced group of blockers in the Big Ten but also in the country. Guard Olaivavega Ioane is getting preseason All-America hype. It's cliché, but the sky does appear to be the limit for this group X-Factor You wouldn't be wrong if you went with Ioane, since he can play guard and center. But our pick is sophomore Cooper Cousins. He has the chance to become a first-time starter — which is all but guaranteed at this point — who can not only match his older team- mates' physicality and intensity but also potentially provide more of it, which is impres- sive for a player entering only his second season of college football. Freshman Outlook Penn State signed four offensive linemen in the 2025 class, headlined by four-star prospect Malachi Goodman. However, it was a different four-star signee, Owen Aliciene, who turned heads the most in the group's first set of spring practices. We wouldn't expect either of them to play this fall, though Penn State could choose to get their feet wet while still keeping them under the four-game threshold to redshirt, considering how many players can move on after this season. That duo is joined by a pair of three-stars in tackle Brady O'Hara, who is transitioning from tight end, and interior offensive lineman Michael Troutman III.