Penn State to the CFP? ESPN senior writer says yes
Penn State football sent six players to the NFL Draft on Friday and Saturday. The event represented the next chapter for a group of Nittany Lions that expanded with free-agent signings, too.
But, as ESPN worked through the proceedings, its College GameDay crew acknowledged another reality.
Boasting a team returning with talent and exceptional potential, the Nittany Lions are expected to again be formidable. And, in the mind of Pete Thamel, the outlet’s senior writer and an insider for college football, that could even take shape as a College Football Playoff bid for Penn State this season.
Asked to pick over or under 10 wins for the Nittany Lions, Thamel took the over.
“I think they’re gonna go over,” Thamel said. “I think Penn State has a very good chance to make the playoff this year.”
Penn State to the playoff?
For the majority of his push for Penn State’s CFP qualifications, Thamel pointed to the offensive line. Though the Nittany Lions return a defense under Manny Diaz expected to be among the nation’s best, the offensive side of the ball is worthy of optimism.
Rather, with a likely first-round NFL Draft selection holding down the left side of the offensive line in Olu Fashanu, the differentiator from last year to this will be clear.
“I think up front, they have Olu Fashanu at left tackle,” Thamel said. “He will be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft next year. If he had come out this year, I think he would have been the first tackles taken. It was probably the biggest surprise amongst NFL evaluators that Olu Fashanu returned, of all the players who came back in college football this year.”
With his first season as a starter in the books, Fashanu is returning with multiple All-Big Ten and all-American honors under his belt. He’s joined by returning pieces with starting experience. They include Landon Tengwall, Hunter Nourzad, Sal Wormley, Caedan Wallace, and Drew Shelton.
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Next steps
Given the talent the group has been charged with protecting, specifically in true sophomore quarterback Drew Allar, the complementary pieces will all be critical to Penn State’s opportunity for success this season.
“Surrounding Drew Allar with (Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen), you give him a chance to grow up a little bit. You give him protection.”
With that protection, expected to be a vast improvement over previous iterations at Penn State, Thamel said he thinks the Nittany Lions can compete with the Big Ten’s best.
“They have had a bad offensive line at Penn State for the majority of the last five years,” Thamel said. “I think they’ve finally grown up. I think they’ve recruited well at that position. Phil Trautwein, the position coach, has gotten them in the position where they’re gonna have multiple guys drafted. And, they’re ready to go in the trenches with Ohio State and the trenches with Michigan.”
