Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu is the Big Ten's offensive lineman of the year
Penn State football starting left tackle Olu Fashanu is likely to receive tons of recognition following his final regular season as a Nittany Lion. The first honor came in on Wednesday. The Waldorf, Md., native and Nittany Lion junior is the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, it announced on an awards-themed edition of Big Ten Network’s ‘B1G Live’. Fashanu is also a unanimous first-team all-conference selection.
Only one other Nittany Lion has ever won the league’s offensive lineman of the year trophy. Center AQ Shipley claimed it back in 2008. Fashanu has long been projected as a first-round pick, including in last year’s NFL Draft. But, he decided to come back to focus on his education and improving his skills. It led to him being the highest-graded blocker in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus and what is sure to be plenty of All-American recognition once those teams are released in the weeks ahead.
“The number one thing for me was getting more reps and experience and working on my technique in the run or pass game,” Fashanu said in early November. “I definitely feel like I’ve improved on those.”
Said Lions line coach Phil Trautwein in November:
“He’s playing at a high level, [and] he’s working on the things he needs to work on: His punch, anchor, footwork, and pad level. He’s playing really consistently and has continued to get better and better. That’s his mindset, to show everyone he can do that week after week.”
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Who will replace Fashanu for Penn State?
It is not yet clear if Fashanu will play in the Lions’ to-be-announced bowl game. But, even if he does, Penn State fans can expect to catch only a little bit of No. 74 in action, in all likelihood. His replacement is waiting in the wings. The Michigan State game told us all we needed to know.
Of course, we also knew the answer to this question long before the regular season finale. When Fashanu was hurt last year, Drew Shelton was called in. Despite being a freshman, he finished out the season at left tackle. With Fashanu and Caedan Wallace both making the top five in terms of games played and snaps taken this past season, Shelton’s role was reduced. The backup on both the left and the right side, the Pennsylvania native had 313 snaps over 10 games. He played 27 plays against the Spartans, though, and twice eclipsed the 60-snap mark in a game in 2023.
Shelton will be the team’s left tackle of the future. Fashanu, meanwhile, will move on soon to the NFL Combine with an eye on locking in his top-10 draft status.
