Penn State season preview of the offensive line: BWI Daily
The BWI Daily Edition prepares you for the 2022 Penn State football season by previewing the Penn State football team position by position. Today, they continue their look at the Nittany Lion’s offense by examining the most polarizing group on the Penn State roster; the offensive line. Host Thomas Frank Carr and senior editor Nate Bauer discuss the starters, key reserves, and freshmen on the team that will shape the fate of this group in the fall.
Penn State offensive line preview
They start by discussing Penn State center Juice Scruggs. Does Penn State need a great center to have the best version of its offensive line? That’s the theory Bauer presents to T-Frank about senior Juice Scruggs. T-Frank doesn’t have a direct rebuttal for that thought but doesn’t agree. The two discuss what makes a good offensive line or player before diving into the group.
From there, T-Frank introduces the presumed starting lineup of left tackle Olu Fashanu, left guard Landon Tengwall, center Juice Scruggs, right guard Hunter Nourzad, and right tackle Caedan Wallace. Three of the five starters from this year differ from the previous year.
Is this the year they turn it around?
So, does that mean the stock is up because the problems from last year are no longer starting, or is the stock down because, once again, Penn State has massive turnover and youth on the line? Bauer and T-Frank debate the merits of each point.
They also discuss the depth issues at tackle, which players can contribute beyond the starting five, before wrapping up by looking at the first-year players.
Penn State Football Preseason Primer: Offensive line
Last season, the fate of the Penn State offense rested in the hands of the offensive line. Without a bevy of superstar talent aside from receiver Jahan Dotson, quarterback Sean Clifford needed some group to step up and make life easier for him. Unfortunately, that never materialized for the o-line. Instead, the group struggled to find consistency and failed to make life easy on Penn State’s plodding running game. Thus everything fell on the shoulders of Clifford, who hasn’t shown he’s the type of player to elevate his play in those situations.
But things are different in 2022. The Nittany Lions have great potential surrounding Clifford, headlined by five-star running back Nick Singleton and his explosive playmaking potential. The team lost Dotson to the first round of the NFL Draft but added transfer Mitchell Tinsley to a deep group of receivers.
So the question becomes whether this group needs to be transcendent or just good enough not to hurt the team.
Penn State OL roster
| No | Player | YR | HT | WT | PFF Career Snaps |
| 51 | Jimmy Christ | R-So | 6-7 | 319 | 12 |
| 53 | Nick Dawkins | So. | 6-4 | 315 | 4 |
| 55 | JB Nelson | R-So. | 6-5 | 294 | 0 |
| 57 | Ibrahim Traore | R-So. | 6-5 | 320 | 0 |
| 58 | Landon Tengwall | R-Fr. | 6-6 | 332 | 117 |
| 64 | Hunter Nourzad | R-Sr. | 6-3 | 315 | 756 |
| 66 | Drew Shelton | Fr. | 6-5 | 279 | 0 |
| 70 | Juice Scruggs | R-Sr. | 6-3 | 310 | 1,096 |
| 72 | Bryce Effner | R-Sr. | 6-5 | 287 | 345 |
| 73 | Maleek McNeil | Fr. | 6-7 | 370 | 0 |
| 74 | Olu Fashanu | So. | 6-6 | 321 | 85 |
| 77 | Sal Wormley | R-Jr. | 6-3 | 298 | 10 |
| 78 | Golden Israel-Achumba | R-So. | 6-4 | 331 | 3 |
| 79 | Caedan Wallace | R-Jr. | 6-5 | 324 | 1,286 |
| – | Vega Ioane | Fr. | 6-4 | 324 | 0 |
Stock Watch
Once again, Penn State football enters the fall with an offensive line that acts as a Rorschach test for those viewing it. Some see the optimism of talented players like Landon Tengwell and Olu Fashanu stepping into the starting lineup and taking the Nittany Lions to the next level. Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad, one of the top prizes in the transfer portal this offseason, also chose Penn State.
