Building an offensive line from the Penn State recruiting Class of 2023
It’s not often that Penn State football has an entire offensive line group in one recruiting class. It’s also rare for them to have a class of such high-profile players, led by high-four star interior linemen Alex Birchmeier out of Virginia and J’ven Williams from Reading, PA. Birchmeier and Williams are the third and fourth-ranked interior linemen in the country according to On3 and are both Top 50 players in the nation. So when you add in massive 320-pound three-star guard Joshua Miller and dark horse three-star tackle prospect Anthony Donkoh, what sort of offensive line can you create?
With that in mind, let’s have a bit of fun. If Penn State offensive line coach Phil Tratuwein had to field an offensive line from the Class of 2023 right now, here’s how I think they would line up.
Left Tackle: J’ven Williams
Before you reject the idea of a highly-ranked interior lineman playing tackle, hear me out. Williams has a very different game from current Penn State right tackle Caedan Wallace. While both have roughly the same length and build, Williams’ game is built on athleticism, pulling, and mobility. His profile as an elite athlete playing the interior translates to tackle if needed. In that way, I compared him to former Penn State left tackle Ryan Bates in my evaluation of his film.
While he’s not an advanced pass-protector at the moment, he’s a dedicated and intelligent player who is working on that area of his game independently. In addition, he’s one of the best athletes that Penn State has recruited on the offensive line under Trautwein, and that physical skill gets him the nod at left tackle.
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Center: Alex Birchmeier
Birchmeier could play any interior position at 6-5.5 and 275-pounds. He’s physically dominant, technically advanced, and nasty to boot. Yet it’s been a while since Penn State has recruited a highly-ranked player at center. So in this exercise, we’ll do just that.
The center helps the quarterback set protections, identify potential blitzes, and communicate with the offensive line. That’s another nod to Birchmeier, who shows leadership qualities through his recruitment by committing early and leading the charge for Penn State recruiting in 2023. Those intangible qualities make for a great center prospect.
With the proliferation of “tite” fronts (nose tackle and two ends lined up on the inside shade of the tackles) designed to stop the spread offense and zone rushing schemes, Penn State needs to find a bully in the middle. The key to breaking a scheme like the tite front is to effectively double-team at the first level and climb to the limited number of linebackers in the box. Birchmeier has the blocking talent and skills to do that effectively.
Right Guard: Joshua Miller
Speaking of double-teams, Miller is the group’s enforcer at 320 pounds.
There’s a good amount of positional switching for the Penn State recruiting class of 2023, with Miller moving from right tackle to guard going forward. That is a good thing for Miller, as it will accentuate his skills. He’s agile for a player his size, so he should be able to execute just about any blocking scheme from the interior. That same agility gives him the chance to be a quality pass protector as well. Miller has the feet and movement skills to wall off defensive tackles on the interior in a tighter space while still being a power-first player.
The size and power combination of Birchmeier and Miller could become a formidable tandem in the future.
Right Tackle: Anthony Donkoh
You can’t let those 35-inch arms go to waste, and Donkoh has the upside to be a very good tackle. Yet, with some open-ended questions about his athleticism, he’ll slot into the right tackle position for now. His run-blocking prowess, intelligence, and work ethic to improve have already sculpted him into a 310-pound bruiser of a blocker. With good pad level and burst off the line of scrimmage, the only question will be how he handles space over his current role on the interior in high school.
What is next for Penn State recruiting in ’23?
Another true tackle prospect could make the Penn State recruiting class in 2023 special. Right now, Gonzaga’s Evan Link is the front-runner to land the fifth spot in the class for Trautwein. Link has the size, mobility, and length needed to play on the edge and is a country’s top 200 player.
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That would give Penn State the option to move Williams to left guard in our five-man class. Additionally, it would mean that they would have three players with tackle potential in the same group, giving them depth and competition for those spots.
Another big-name player to watch for Penn State recruiting is Thayer Academy tackle prospect Samson Okonlola. Okonlola would be a home-run, as a Top 100 player and the fifth-ranked offensive tackle in the nation, according to On3. He’s swift, athletic, and violent with great feet, all of which lead to a top-notch left tackle prospect.
Yes, Trautwein and Penn State are still looking for one more player in the Class of 2023, but they’re doing so from a position of strength. That’s because the current players already have the depth and flexibility to field an impressive starting five(ish).
