Andy Kotelnicki raves over Nick Dawkins on offensive line: 'He is rare'

New Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki shared some of his thoughts about the interior of the offensive line and, in particular, he praised Nick Dawkins.

Kotelnicki explained that one of the offense’s strengths going into the 2024 season is its depth on the offensive line. That’s a unique thing among football teams and much of that is keyed around the interior of the line.

“We have a couple of guys on the interior that have done a really good job,” Andy Kotelnicki said. “Nick has been taking most of the reps there. [Olaivavega Ioane] has been snapping the ball. Sal [Wormley] has been doing it. Then, [Dominic] Rulli, those guys have been snapping on a consistent basis for us. Coach [Phil Trautwein] has done a great job of working with them and kind of getting them squared away.”

The offensive line is key for every team. However, with Penn State looking to open holes for its star running backs and give time for quarterback Drew Allar, it’s particularly important in Happy Valley for a team that is hoping to compete at the top of the Big Ten.

“I think when you look at football at most levels, it really is hard to feel like you’ve got 15 o-linemen that are ready to play,” Kotelnicki said. “If you look at the NFL, they’ve got seven or eight guys on the roster. Then they have three other guys. They need to be swing guys.”

One of the biggest names along the Penn State offensive line is Nick Dawkins. He’s someone who Kotelnicki believes is not just a special player but a special person.

“Specifically to Dawkins since you asked about him. He has done a fantastic job,” Kotelnicki said. “And I will say this about Nick Dawkins. He is one of a kind.”

Now a redshirt senior, Nick Dawkins was named a captain ahead of the 2024 season. He’s the only captain from the offensive line. He has also consistently earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.

“And I have coached long enough to know when you’re interacting with a special person that’s in their early 20s or late teens, and he is a special one. If you guys ever get a chance to interact with him. His maturity, his authenticity, it just screams when you interact with him and I tell our staff we can never take for granted the kind of leader and person he is because he is rare,” Kotelnicki said.

“Because of that, you anticipate a guy like that being successful. You really do because he has those characteristics.”

A former three-star recruit in the Class of 2020, Nick Dawkins is now ready to make his impact felt in 2024, starting with a challenging road game at West Virginia.