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Penn State Football’s Biggest Question for 2024? Offensive Tackle, Says ESPN

Penn State gets a lot of attention in the preseason playoffs because of its returning talent, a fired-up offense under coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and a veteran defense. But the Nittany Lions, coming off consecutive 10-win regular seasons, have some issues to address as they seek their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Wide receiver is one of them. In fact, the receivers the use of doubt from outside surround them as motivation this season. As Penn State receiver Marques Hagans noted, “If I say we don’t hear it or it doesn’t matter, I’d be lying. So we hear it and we use it as motivation.”

ESPN, however, pointed in a different direction. Judging the “biggest question marks” Of the top 25 teams after the spring, ESPN named offensive tackle as Penn State’s spot for improvement. ESPN, which ranks Penn State at No. 12, had this to say about the position:

“The Nittany Lions need to replace their two starting offensive tackles from last season in first-round pick Olumuyiwa Fashanu and third-round pick Caedan Wallace,” ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote. “Penn State will rely on Drew Shelton, who missed the spring with an injury, and Wisconsin transfer Nolan Rucci, an ESPN top-40 recruit in 2021, to bolster bookend pass protection for quarterback Drew Allar. If Shelton and Rucci step up, offensive tackle could quickly become a force again.”

Offensive tackle is a legitimate concern. Fashanu and Wallace represented Penn State’s best tackle duo in nearly three decades. The 2024 NFL Draft marked the first time Penn State had drafted both starting tackles since 1996. Add center Hunter Nourzad (a fifth-round pick) and the Nittany Lions would have drafted three linemen for the first time since 1996.

So yeah, two NFL Draft picks are tough to replace. But Penn State has options, including a player ESPN didn’t mention. Shelton has plenty of experience and, though he missed spring practice, is back to full strength and ready for training camp. Meanwhile, right tackle will likely be a camp duel between Rucci, as noted, and redshirt freshman Anthony Donkoh, who played in four games and got 46 snaps in the Peach Bowl last season. Donkoh likely has the early lead for that spot.

Also to watch this season is redshirt freshman Jven Williams. He spent last year as Fashanu’s understudy, sharing a room with him on away games and studying his workout habits. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein paired the two specifically for that reason, and Fashanu said Williams jumped at the opportunity.

“I don’t want to sound bad, but it was basically a Q&A at every away game,” Fashanu said of living with Williams. “He was just asking me questions about my process, what I did to get where I am now. And he’s the type of person who will retain that information and use it to his advantage.”

Penn State opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.

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AllPennState is the home for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com Network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, covering three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.