Will Penn State have Anthony Donkoh available against Ohio State?

Penn State right tackle Anthony Donkoh is one of three Nittany Lion starters who missed a significant amount of time in last Saturday’s win over Wisconsin. Head coach James Franklin said Monday that it’s too early to say whether or not he, quarterback Drew Allar, and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton will be available for Saturday’s top-five showdown with Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. But, there is one big difference when it comes to deciding the latter two player’s availability versus that of Donkoh’s. Head coach James Franklin said earlier in his Monday news conference that the program would wait as long as possible, even up until kickoff, to decide if Allar and/or Dennis-Sutton would play. Donkoh may not be afforded the same luxury.

“I don’t think Anthony’s in the same category of those guys in terms of just the number of games he’s played in,” Lions coach James Franklin said on Monday. “I mean, he’s really a first-year starter this year. Both Dani and Drew are multi-year starters now. So, it’s a little bit different.”

In a perfect world, Donkoh would start and potentially be spelled occasionally by first-year Nittany Lion and backup right tackle Nolan Rucci. Once Donkoh went out against the Badgers, Rucci stepped in and played the offense’s final 49 snaps at right tackle. It is inaccurate to say that the two have split time, as when Donkoh is healthy, he’s the clear leader. The snap counts from Pro Football Focus indicate as much: Donkoh sits at 306 through seven games and Rucci 180. But, the fact that the latter has played as much as he has this season is helpful should he need to become the temporary starter.

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“We’ve already been playing [Nolan] Rucci a bunch anyway,” Franklin said. “But, we’re going to need both of those guys. So, you know, living in the training room, and I think there’s also really, for all of our players, there’s that maturation process that I think, a lot of time, comes from the players of figuring out, what can you play with, and should you play with, and what can’t you. And guys have to figure that out.

“That’s part of maturity and growth as a football player. Obviously, ultimately, the medical people will step in there when a guy can’t play, but I’m talking about the guys that can play, that have to kind of figure out how to play with those bumps and bruises and things like that. So that’s where that leadership is really important. I think Donkoh is working through that right now. This week will be really important. He’s a great kid. He’s a smart kid. … “We expect to play both of those guys, but it’s too early to say [on Donkoh’s status].”

Rucci will be ready if called upon

Rucci is in his first season with the Nittany Lions after transferring in this offseason from Wisconsin. He put on weight this offseason and has improved from a technique perspective. His 49 snaps against Wisconsin are first on his season ledger so far, but the Pennsylvania native also logged 47 against UCLA, 39 against Kent State, and 26 opposite Bowling Green.

In other words, he’s more game-ready than most backups, which is a boon for Penn State as it works to figure out the plan for Donkoh on Saturday.

“I think it’s a little bit of a mindset thing,” Rucci said after beating the Badgers. “Especially if you’re the backup, I think it’s always in your mind, just being ready to go out there and do your thing. I think that’s a big focus for a lot of the guys on our team. Obviously, we had some guys step up tonight, and so I think just like in a week of practice, everybody’s doing whatever they can to make sure they’re ready to get on the field.

“I think that helped me with my opportunity. And I obviously have a lot of things to work on technique-wise, in the run game. And I think it was great learning opportunity for me just to get out in that field and do it. I think I learned a lot and have a lot of things to improve on in practice and in the weeks coming up.”