Why Olumuyiwa Fashanu will lead Penn State’s offensive line as the best OT in the country
The position by position breakdown of Penn State’s offense now moves to the trenches after breaking down every skill position — including Drew Allar’s first year leading the unit, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton forming a dynamic running back duo, the fight to be the No. 1 option at wide receiver, and Theo Johnson’s potential breakout season.
All of those players will be relying on those up front to pave the way and create the time for them to make plays and help this offense reach its upside. That starts on the exterior of the line.
Let’s examine the team’s offensive tackles, which includes the best in the country at the position and some interesting options behind him.
Projected starters: Junior Olumuyiwa Fashanu and redshirt senior Caedan Wallace
Fashanu would have been a top-10 pick had he entered the 2022 NFL Draft but instead returns to anchor what could be an elite group up front for Penn State. He and Wallace are the incumbents at tackle, but it’s not a guarantee that the latter hangs onto his position with sophomore Drew Shelton looming after a positive freshman campaign. That being said, he’s still the incumbent and that gives him a leg up early on.
The success of the offensive line this season — and specifically the offensive tackles — begins with Fashanu. At 6-foot-6 and 319-pounds, he’s as elite as it gets in college football and should be a force on the left side for Penn State. He has impressive athleticism and footwork to go with his high level size — and really has all of the traits you’re looking for in a cornerstone at left tackle.
Fashanu moves his feet like a nimble running back, giving him an advantage against even the best pass rushers in the country. He uses his length and hand strength to keep defenders at bay, and slides his feet well to stay in front of his opponents in pass protection, and in the run game is enough of an athlete to get downhill and be a force against opposing defensive players. There should be no concern about his spot at left tackle this season. He is elite and his play will likely be too.
Wallace’s place in the starting lineup is far more uncertain because of Shelton, but he can still be a good enough starter to fend off the sophomore. He has great size at 6-foot-5, 341 pounds and has good feet for being that big. Wallace has good strength and all of that should lend itself to him being a high level starter with the Nittany Lions.
However, he’s struggled with consistency in his time with the program and hasn’t always done well with the mentality it takes to be an elite offensive lineman. That’s not to say he’s not capable of it — he is — but it just isn’t there on an every snap basis. Wallace needs to put his physical tools to better — and more consistent — use this season to hang onto his job. If he does that, his athleticism and strength should shine across from Fashanu.
Key backups: Sophomore Drew Shelton and redshirt sophomore Landon Tengwall
Shelton is really the primary backup here, because if something happened to either Wallace or Fashanu, he would likely step in. Tengwall is more of a contingency plan if things go seriously awry, because he’s a likely starter at guard but would kick out to tackle if the team has to dig deep down the depth chart early in the season.
Like I said, though, this is about Shelton. He was very good at times during his true freshman season and showed the type of traits a team looks for in a cornerstone tackle. In fact, the smart money is on him taking over at left tackle in 2024 when Fashanu — presumably — leaves for the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s an excellent athlete at tackle with a good frame at 6-foot-5, but could use some added muscle. He’s 308 pounds but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that number rise as Shelton grows into his frame during his college career.
Like Fashanu, he has great feet and athleticism, but unlike him he will likely struggle with pass rushers who rely on power because he doesn’t have the strength to fend them off. Still, he should be very good this season against the pass. He might be more of a work in progress against the run, depending on how much weight he adds in the offseason, but he still has the quickness to get downfield and pave rushing lanes for the team’s running back.
Tengwall is, as mentioned above, more of a guard. His length fits more inside than it does outside, and so does his ability to get his hands on defensive linemen and bully them at the point of attack. He’s a good backup swing tackle but if he’s playing serious time for the Nittany Lions on the outside, then something likely went wrong for them this season.
Freshman to watch: True freshman J’ven Williams
Williams is one of several highly touted freshman joining the program in this year’s freshman class, along with Alex Birchmeier and others, but he’s the one with the most upside. The Pennsylvania native has excellent athleticism and has the ability to play inside and outside at this level.
He’s 6-foot-5, 313 pounds with good length for the outside. His athleticism will likely be his calling card as a lineman. He’s better in the running game right now, as most true freshmen offensive linemen are, but still has upside as a pass protector because of how well he moves at his size. There’s a direct path to playing time if Williams can come in and impress right away, but it’s unfair for almost any freshman offensive lineman to play in his first year on campus. Still, he could be a starting tackle in the 2024 season and if not should have a career inside if Penn State thinks he’s better off playing guard.
