Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M who was mentored earlier in his career by current NFL tackles Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Drew Shelton. "I can use my God-given abilities in the game to make a difference." Health problems have been the one stumbling block that Donkoh has en- countered at Penn State, and they con- tinued this offseason. He was forced to miss spring practice after undergoing an unspecified medical procedure. Donkoh was back in action by the start of preseason drills and will man the right tackle post in an overhauled Penn State offensive front. He's the only returning starter on the unit, with redshirt fresh- man Malachi Goodman expected to win the opposite tackle spot, junior returnee Cooper Cousins in line for a promotion to the starting right guard position, and a pair of transfers — redshirt junior Trevor Buhr from Iowa State and redshirt soph- omore Brock Riker from Texas State — favored to open at left guard and center, respectively. Despite all the changes, the unit has in- spired optimism internally. Donkhoh has talked about "trusting the process," and while the process yielded a 7-6 record last season, everyone has a clean slate this fall. Indeed, only eight of the 16 scholarship offensive linemen on the 2026 roster were even part of the team a year ago. The best-case scenario, to which the coaching staff has alluded, would be for the unit as a whole to take on Donkoh's driven personality. As Campbell noted, "Anthony is a young man whose work ethic and character have truly led us both on and off the football field." Although he prefers to play tackle, Donkoh was recently listed by analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic as the No. 8 interior lineman in the 2027 NFL Draft, should he choose to forgo his final sea- son of eligibility. But to put himself in an advantageous spot next April, he knows he'll have to focus on the here-and-now. Fortunately for all concerned, that's what Donkoh does best. "You've got to be in love with the pro- cess. You've got to be obsessed with the process," he said. "To get to the end of the season and achieve what you dreamed of achieving, you have to do the things every single day that are required. Then you can look back and point out that you did everything possible to achieve it. "That's what we're trying to drill into our minds. We need to take everything seriously, every little thing. We have to be very detail-oriented, just to make sure we have no regrets after the season." ■ Penn State started preseason camp with at least one position battle along the offensive line. Redshirt sophomore Brock Riker, a Texas State transfer, emerged from spring practice as the leader to replace Nick Dawkins as the Nittany Lions' starting center. However, the player who is going to push him for the spot, redshirt senior Dominic Rulli, was out of action during those drills due to an injury. Head coach Matt Campbell told Rulli his absence in the spring would not pre- clude him from having a chance to win the job this summer. Even if Riker's lead feels substantial, there will be a competition. Otherwise, position coach Ryan Clanton's first Penn State offensive line looked to be firmly established in the weeks leading up to preseason camp. Exiting spring practice, the consensus was that redshirt junior An- thony Donkoh would be the right tackle, with junior Cooper Cousins at right guard, redshirt junior Trevor Buhr at left guard and redshirt freshman Malachi Goodman at left tackle. When the Lions line up for their first offensive snap against Marshall on Sept. 5, there is a very good chance that will still be the lineup. Campbell injected a bit of uncertainty into the mix during a radio interview in late July with Jeff Byers and Keith Conlin, hosts of "The Goon and Iron Head Show." While Campbell echoed much of the outside analysis about how the depth chart is shaping up, he added that Goodman's competition with class- mate Owen Aliciene and redshirt sopho- more Garrett Sexton is going to be a "fun one." "What's going to happen there?" Camp- bell said. "I think there's a lot of talent. There are a lot of guys who are proving their value. There's youth. It's a little bit unknown, but I think the talent of that room and the physicality of that room is really exciting." Goodman came out of spring practice as the first-team left tackle, which made him the leader for the spot heading into pre- season camp. But he's never taken a college snap, and his inexperience means that Al- iciene and Sexton could also be in the mix. Aliciene reportedly had a very good spring. It's not surprising to hear a coach look to keep an important young player on his toes. Campbell later made it clear that he wants to see heated competition across his entire roster. While Goodman continues to be the most likely starter at left tackle, it's not a done deal yet. "Somebody is going to have to earn it," Campbell said. "That's going to be the fun thing probably across the board. There is still a newness right now, and I think [on the best teams] you always feel a little threat- ened when you start a fall camp. "We're talented across the board. You've got to earn the right to win the starting job. There's a lot of that going on in our locker room right now, and that's a good thing. If done correctly, it can not only create great starters, but it can create great depth along all of the areas in our football program." — Greg Pickel Campbell Encourages Competition On Offensive Line Redshirt freshman Malachi Goodman has been Penn State's presumed starter at left tackle this fall, but Campbell said he expects a battle at the position in preseason camp. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER