Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T here's not a lot of good news com- ing out of the Penn State football program right now. The Nittany Li- ons tumbled from the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2022 af- ter losing to UCLA, 42-37, on Oct. 4, and their College Football Playoff hopes have all but vanished. Making matters worse, some of the team's problems can be traced to the struggles of experienced veterans who spurned the chance to leave for the pros last year so that they could suit up for one final season in blue and white. But for all the difficulties the vets have endured, a top NFL Draft analyst believes that at least one Nittany Lion has enhanced his pro résumé. Dane Brugler of The Athletic re- cently picked a handful of players who he thinks will be in the conversation to make his top 50 NFL Draft big board af- ter not doing so previously. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane was one of them. While the Lions' offensive line has struggled at times, the redshirt junior has been effective more often than not. He owned Pro Football Focus' sixth- best run-blocking grade (78.0) through the season's first six weeks and was said to be impressing pro evaluators. "The Penn State offensive line has been up and down this season, but Ioane … has been the one constant, both as a run blocker and in pass protection," Bru- gler noted. "A fourth-year junior, Ioane had a third-round grade over the sum- mer, and that projection has only im- proved a month into the season. He was stout and alert in pass protection against Oregon, and he put reps on tape that show him mauling in the run game and pulling near the goal line. Ioane projects as an NFL starter and has put himself in the mix to be the first guard drafted." Ioane is very likely to hear his name called on Day 2 next April. Whether any Penn State player will precede him on Day 1 is up for debate. It is unlikely that senior quarterback Drew Allar will be a first-rounder now that he's going to be working his way back from an injury. Senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sut- ton might be, but the best candidate to be a first-round pick is junior corner- back A.J. Harris, who made a new mock draft from CBS Sports in early October. "A.J. Harris is a physical cornerback who excels in both off and press cover- age, consistently staying in phase on vertical routes," wrote Ryan Wilson in projecting Harris to go No. 17 overall to Seattle. "He's aggressive vs. the run and will come downhill like an old-school linebacker or strong safety, running through blocks and throwing his body around to make a tackle. Harris com- bines coverage savvy with downhill ag- gression, making him a disruptive force both in the secondary and near the line of scrimmage." ■ Junior cornerback A.J. Harris had 15 tackles in the first six games, including 1 tackle for loss, while also adding a pass breakup and a fumble recovery. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Ioane, Harris Seen As NFL Draft Risers G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Redshirt junior guard Olaivavega Ioane has excelled as both a run blocker and pass protector for the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS