ALTOONA, Pa. -- This might be the most important player development of the entire offseason for Penn State, and it also could turn out to be a significant decision for the Steelers, as well.
Left tackle Olu Fashanu announced Monday afternoon that he will return to the Nittany Lions next season, rather than enter the NFL draft, where he was widely regarded to be a first-round pick.
🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/7rwlpCcIiz
— Olu Fashanu (@olu_fashanu) November 28, 2022
“Although playing in the NFL is a goal of mine, there is still more that I want to achieve personally and collectively as a program. After several conversations with my parents and coaches, I will be returning to Penn State for the 2023 season. I want to thank my family, teammates and coaches who have helped me get to this point in my life. My work here is far from over and I look forward to getting back to work with my brothers," Fashanu wrote in his social media post.
This is massive news for Penn State, since Fashanu, a third-year sophomore, emerged as a standout left tackle this year despite being just a 19-year-old in his first season starting in college.
As Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider tweeted, "The bodyguard is back."
Fashanu missed Penn State's final four regular-season games with an undisclosed injury, suffered late in the game against Ohio State in week 8. Despite his limited college experience and getting injured late in the year, his NFL draft stock has remained high, leading many to believe he would turn pro.
As it turns out, the Steelers could end up being one of the NFL teams most disappointed that Fashanu will not be in the draft.
At NFL Mock Draft Database, more than a dozen different mocks over the past month have had the Steelers picking Fashanu in the first round, with a pick inside the top 10. The Steelers are definitely in need of a left tackle, and they'll have to look elsewhere now with Fashanu unavailable.
Fashanu is a 6-foot-6, 308-pounder from Maryland who made his first start in the Outback Bowl last season vs. Arkansas. He returned this year as the starter and made an immediate impact, drawing praise from his own coach and NFL scouts.
"We've had a ton of respect for Olu really since he stepped on campus," James Franklin said early this season. "He's one of those high-production, low-maintenance guys that really does everything right.
"You talk to the academic people about him, they love him. He's done everything right since he stepped on campus. You talk to strength and conditioning, the trainers, equipment staff, just Olu is one of those guys. He just goes about his business. He does everything the right way; extremely focused."
Fashanu is on pace to graduate next fall. Him returning to Penn State is crucial, since the Lions will have a first-year starting quarterback next season in Drew Allar, and now the offensive line won't have to worry about protecting the QB's blind side.
Here's what ESPN, which broke the story, wrote about Fashanu's decision:
Fashanu told ESPN that he felt as if he has "unfinished business" at Penn State and that he's returning primarily to help the Nittany Lions accomplish bigger goals, specifically naming the Big Ten championship and a national title as two things he'd like to achieve in 2023. He stressed that the potential of the core of young talent at Penn State is appealing to him, and he's appreciative of the chemistry he has built with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and with coach James Franklin.
This decision, while great for Penn State, does not come without risk for Fashanu. If he was already widely considered to be a top-10 draft pick, there is a risk that he could hurt his stock if he returns and doesn't play as well or gets injured.
Then again, one potential knock on his draft stock might have been that he's inexperienced and still just 19 right now, and one year from now, more teams might be in line to pick him since there conceivably would be less risk.
