James Franklin explains why Olu Fashanu returned despite NFL Draft projections

Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu likely would have been a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Instead, he opted to return for his fourth season with the Nittany Lions as they aim to challenge Michigan and Ohio State for the Big Ten East crown.

As Penn State coach James Franklin explained at Big Ten Media Days, Fashanu’s decision came down to more than just football. The 2022 All-Big Ten Academic honoree will now have the opportunity to complete his bachelor’s degree in supply chain and information systems, something that means a lot to his family.

“Young man who obviously had a lot of opportunities this offseason and felt like it was in his family’s best interest to come back to school,” Franklin said. “Got one of the highest GPAs on our team. Came from a really good high school program in Gonzaga High School in Washington D.C., which I also think helps.

“Guys that come from really good programs know how to work. They understand what it takes at our level. So he’s matured, obviously, into a player everyone’s talking about. He also has the maturity, the intellect and the work ethic to demand the respect of all the guys on the team and in the room.”

Fashanu arrived at Penn State in 2020 as just a three-star recruit out of Gonzaga High School, where he was teammates with USC quarterback and 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams. He took a redshirt in his true freshman season before appearing in nine games with one start in 2021.

This past season, however, Fashanu moved into a full-time starting role. He blossomed into a star in the process, proving himself as one of the best pass protectors in college football after not giving up a single sack in 281 pass-blocking snaps. His 84.7 pass-blocking grade ranked him sixth among Power 5 tackles according to Pro Football Focus.

His return should ease the transition at quarterback with former five-star recruit Drew Allar set to take the reigns following the graduation of Sean Clifford. The Nittany Lions also have two of the best running backs in the country in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen as Fashanu looks prove himself more as a run blocker.

However, in addition to what Fashanu brings to the team, Franklin added that his return also gives him an opportunity to show why he deserves to be the first offensive tackle off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“I think the other thing that I’m excited about is, we have an opportunity at Penn State to help Olu develop,” the coach said. “Not only the help our team, but also to help himself. He is bigger than he was last year. But not only is he bigger, all of his testing numbers have dramatically improved. His bench press, his 40, his vertical jump, his pro agility. All of them while gaining 20 pounds.

“He’s put himself in the best position to play well this year and also to be able to take those skills and translate them at a place like Indianapolis, maybe the combine, and show the type of athlete he also is.”