Penn State will be without its regular left guard for the rest of 2022.
In his weekly press conference Tuesday, coach James Franklin announced that Landon Tengwall has undergone surgery and will be out for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Tengwall got hurt during warmups of Penn State’s game at Michigan Oct. 15 and ended up missing that game as well as the next three. Now, he’ll miss Penn State’s last three games and presumably Penn State’s bowl game.
Franklin doesn’t specify the severity of injuries unless the injury is season-ending. Therefore, he only said a little about Tengwall’s partner on the left side, tackle Olu Fashanu. Fashanu missed this past Saturday’s win over Indiana and is week-to-week, per Franklin.
Tengwall was Penn State’s highest-rated recruit in the 2021 class and redshirted last season, only playing in three games. He became Penn State’s regular left guard this season before getting hurt. The man who has replaced Tengwall on the left side, Hunter Nourzad, announced Tuesday morning that he’ll be returning to Penn State for 2023, using his final year of eligibility. Now, it looks like Nourzad will also be starting for the rest of 2022.
Franklin felt Tengwall, an Annapolis, Maryland, native, had been “playing really well” before the injury and started attending Penn State football camps at a young age.
“You know, Landon, it seems like he’s been a part of out program forever. He’s looked just like he looks right now since like third grade when he first starting coming to camp at Penn State. He made it pretty obvious that this is where he always wanted to be. He was great during the recruiting process. He was high-production and low-maintenance, and you can’t have enough of those guys In your organization, whether that’s players or staff, and he’s been productive.”
“He’s started and played at guard, well enough for us to win. He’s started and played at tackle, well enough for us to win.
“He’s been a great teammate; he’s been a great student. He’s been a class act both on and off the field. I think he has a very very bright future.”