James Franklin encouraged by early work from Vega Ioane

Every offense starts up front, and Penn State head coach James Franklin has liked what he saw in particular from offensive lineman Vega Ioane during spring practice. From his physique to the versatility he’s shown, Ioane has turned heads in Happy Valley this offseason.

“He’s the best looking 365 pounds I’ve ever seen in my life. He carries it extremely well,” Franklin confessed. “Because of some guys that have been limited or have some injuries he’s had to play center a ton, which I don’t know if it’s necessarily his natural position. But I think there’s value in the fact that he’s been able to create some position flexibility.”

Ioane size speaks for itself, as he towers at 6-foot-4 to go along with his 365 pounds. But so has his play, as he’s proven that he has the mental and physical tools to play at multiple offensive-line positions.

Ioane was a three-star recruit out of Graham-Kapowsin high school in Graham, Washington, where he was No. 541 overall recruit and the No. 43 ranked interior lineman in the 2022 class according to On3’s Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“He’s a smart kid, he’s a great kid, he’s been awesome so we’re really really happy we have him. I’ll look forward to when we can get him more reps at guard because I think that’s gonna be more of a natural position for him,” Franklin said.

Ioane was redshirted last year during his freshman year with the Nittany Lions, but still appeared in four games last season. His taste of game action combined with the development and strides he’s making in the offseason has him poised to be a solid starter for Penn State’s offensive line this season. And the positional flexibility he’s shown may even have him poised to play on Sunday’s one day.

“It’s like I said earlier, it’s creating flexibility. The more positions you know the better in terms of being able to get on the field, and not only here but at the next level. I think also playing center, being the quarterback of the offensive line, and how it all fits together and how they all have to compliment one another. I think there’s value in it,” Franklin said. “But I think there’s also obviously the importance of getting guys at the position you think they have the best chance to play for us.”