Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu goes to the New York Jets in Round 1
Penn State has its first selection taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. And, it’s a big one for the Nittany Lions.
Following a one-year delay, left tackle Olu Fashanu has been selected with the No. 11 pick by the New York Jets on Thursday evening. He is the Nittany Lions’ first first-round pick since receiver Jahan Dotson was selected by the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft. Maybe more importantly moving forward, he is also the first offensive lineman from the program selected in the first round since Levi Brown‘s selection as the No. 5 overall pick in 2007.
Bringing full circle a journey that began as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2020 into a two-year starter at left tackle for the Nittany Lions, Fashanu will now embark on his next steps professionally.
Penn State backstory
To understand Fashanu’s incredible rise into becoming one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft, one needs only to reflect on his status in 2023. Spurning an opportunity to become a professional following his redshirt sophomore season, then just a 20-year old with one year of starting experience, Fashanu and his family were willing to put off the start of his career in the NFL.
And, according to Penn State head coach in an interview last offseason with On3’s J.D. PicKell, the decision to do so was relatively drama-free.
“In today’s NIL world, everybody’s like, ‘Penn State must have gone crazy to try to keep him’. And the reality is, I met with Olu and his family. I meet with all those guys. And I basically told them that he should leave. And all the feedback I was getting was first round,” Franklin said. “Olu and his family were like, ‘Hey, we’re staying. We always planned on being here for four years.’
“Olu was only 19 years old at the time. So, Olu had just turned 20 years old. That played a factor in it as well for the family. Olu wanted to get his degree. He’s got a chance to be an academic All-American. That’s something that’s really important to me and the family as well. He’s probably got the highest GPA on our team.”
Franklin’s instincts proved correct.
Fashanu solidified his future as an NFL offensive lineman with a season that delivered Academic All-Big Ten honors on top of a slew of All-American recognitions. He became the 44th Penn State player to earn consensus All-America status.
NFL Combine Measurables
| T Olu Fashanu | Measurements |
| Arms | 34 inches |
| Hands | 8 1/2 inches |
| 40-Yard Dash | 5.11 seconds |
| Bench | – |
| Vertical | 32 inches |
| Broad Jump | 9 feet, 1 inch |
| Three-Cone | – |
| 20-Yard Shuttle | – |
Quotable
“Fashanu does everything well. In the college game, it’s very rare to see a player who’s good at both pass and run blocking. It’s even rarer for a player who’s good at both to possibly get better. He hasn’t played a ton of
football in his life, so there’s still [untapped] potential there.” — Joel Klatt, Fox Sports
“A toolsy two-year starter with loads of potential, Fashanu is still learning to be less mechanical and more instinctive with his play. At this point, he could impose his traits upon most collegiate opponents and stack the deck in his favor. As a pro, he will need to play with better control and more consistent technique to prevent being countered and beaten by NFL talent.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
