Dec. 22—Penn State All-American offensive tackle Olu Fashanu surprised no one Friday when he declared for the 2024 NFL draft on social media.
The 6-6, 317-pound Fashanu, a potential top-10 pick, became the Nittany Lions’ first consensus All-American offensive lineman since Jeff Hartings in 1995. He has not allowed a sack in 382 pass-blocking snaps this season.
He has been projected as a first-round pick like he was after last season. He decided to return to Penn State for this season and received his bachelor’s degree last weekend.
“I am forever grateful that I made the decision to come back and compete with my brothers one last time while also graduating,” Fashanu wrote on social media. “With that being said, I am proud to announce that I will be declaring for the 2024 NFL draft. I look forward to spending time with my teammates and coaches in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.”
Last week at Penn State’s Peach Bowl media day, he also was non-committal when he was asked whether he would play against Ole Miss on Dec. 30.
Led by Fashanu, the Lions rank fourth nationally in red zone conversion percentage (95.1), 14th in scoring (37.2), 26th in rushing (186.7) and 10th in time of possession (33:02).
He burst onto the scene in his first season as a starter last year before he missed the final five games with an undisclosed injury.
He’s the first Penn State player since A.Q. Shipley in 2008 to receive the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award. He was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to the nation’s top scholar-athlete.
Fashanu thanked his family, his coaches, his teammates and Penn State fans in his announcement.
“There aren’t enough words to express how impactful the past four years at Penn State have been,” he wrote. “This football program, which has become my family, the Smeal College of Business and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-states-olu-fashanu-projected-045000999.html
Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.
Publish date : 2023-12-23 04:50:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
