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Penn State left deal with Olu Fashanu advised ESPN that he is returning to highschool subsequent yr, a stunning transfer in NFL circles contemplating he’s projected as the highest offensive line prospect within the upcoming NFL draft.
Fashanu, 19, is a redshirt sophomore who’s in his first full season as a starter at Penn State. Fashanu is 6-foot-6, 310 kilos and performed highschool soccer at Gonzaga School Excessive in Washington D.C.
Fashanu established himself as one of many high offensive linemen within the nation this season, with some scouts projecting him as possible a top-10 draft decide.
Fashanu mentioned he isn’t on social media and had no thought about his rising draft inventory till teammates confirmed him a mock draft this season.
Fashanu advised ESPN that he felt like he has “unfinished enterprise” at Penn State and that he is returning primarily to assist the Nittany Lions accomplish larger objectives, particularly naming the Huge Ten Championship and a nationwide title as two issues he’d like to attain in 2023. He pressured that the potential of the core of younger expertise at Penn State is interesting to him, and he is appreciative of the chemistry that he is constructed with each offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and coach James Franklin.
Fashanu additionally mentioned he’ll get his diploma in provide chain administration someday within the subsequent yr and plans to start out his grasp’s.
“Penn State is an superior place to go to highschool,” he mentioned. “And I can get my schooling totally free.”
Fashanu’s size, athleticism and energy are interesting to NFL scouts. After surging to the highest of most NFL groups’ boards for the 2023 draft, he’ll as a substitute possible enter subsequent season within the uncommon air of high prospects, an early group that’s prone to embrace Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Caleb Williams — his highschool teammate from Gonzaga.
“I feel he would have been the highest deal with on this draft and a top-10 decide,” one NFL scout advised ESPN. “He is a check-all-the-boxes man — excessive character. He is a sure-fire excessive decide. It is a simple analysis.”
The pull of his group and his schooling introduced Fashanu again to Penn State. When the younger offensive core of freshman quarterback Drew Allar and freshman tailbacks Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen had been talked about to Fashanu, he countered by mentioning how good they are often subsequent yr with a full offseason of coaching and growth.
“I simply can’t wait to get to work this offseason,” he mentioned.
Fashanu has began simply 9 video games in his profession — eight of them got here this season. He hasn’t performed since getting injured towards Ohio State in October, lacking the final 4 video games. The undisclosed damage is just not thought-about severe, and he is anticipated to take part absolutely in spring soccer.
Other than trying ahead to his weekly journeys to Penn State’s Berkey Creamery for the famed ice cream, Fashanu largely pressured being together with his teammates. After making important progress from 2021 to 2022, he cannot wait to see what occurs subsequent yr after one other offseason of labor.
“I really feel like we have come a good distance, and there is extra we are able to do,” he mentioned.
The information is a large boon to Penn State, which went 10-2 this season and expects to return a proficient younger roster.
“We could not be extra excited to have Olu return for the 2023 season,” Franklin mentioned. “He’s an individual of excessive character who exemplifies our core values, leads by instance, and fashions what it means to be an entire Penn State student-athlete. We’ll proceed to work extraordinarily laborious to assist Olu obtain all of his objectives on and off the sphere and look ahead to one other season with him and his household in Pleased Valley.”
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