All 105 is a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player. This edition will look at true freshman offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh.
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 335 pounds
Hometown: Aldie, Virginia
Before Penn State: Donkoh comes to Penn State after a standout career at Lightridge High School. He lettered three seasons and was the team’s MVP all three years— quite a feat for an offensive lineman since the position generally goes under appreciated. In those three seasons, Donkoh only allowed one sack. A four-star prospect, Donkoh committed to Penn State in January 2022, choosing PSU over Duke, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, among others.
Where he stands: Donkoh is expected to start the season at offensive guard. Penn State has several talented guards, led by the school’s top-rated 2021 signee, Landon Tengwall. Players like JB Nelson and Donkoh’s classmate and fellow Virginian. four-star Alex Birchmeier (Ashburn) are also in the mix.
A big key as to who will get to play is Tengwall’s health. The left guard appeared to be healthy again after missing more than half of last season with an injury, but coach James Franklin told reporters after a summer practice that Tengwall is experiencing “bumps and bruises.” If the injury bug bites Tengwall for an extended period, that could create opportunities for Donkoh to get more reps than he otherwise would. His 6-foot-5, 335-pound frame doesn’t hurt, either.
A quote about Donkoh: “The good thing is you’re far enough away from home to grow up and become your own man but still close enough that the family can be a part of it. To me, that’s the thing that stands out about you and your family is your humility. A lot of these guys, they go through the recruiting process and everybody’s patting them on the back and telling them how wonderful they are, and their egos explode. And you’ve just handled this unbelievably well. I talked to you about the things that you need to get better (at) and I suggested that you come to camp, and I say that you all the recruits. I say “You should come to every single camp to get better, but to also work with your position coach and build that rapport,” and I think you may be the first one that we’ve had in my nine years at Penn State. I think you came to every single camp. Every time I turned around, your mom was sitting there in the front row. Your brother, I think, as JaJuan (Seider) said, I think is the real reason you came to every camp because they thought there was going to be free Penn State ice cream at every single event. I think the one time, when your brothers left with about 15 of those cups, I think that may be an NCAA violation, the amount of Ice Cream that you left with. But you guys have been awesome, and you just have gotten better and better and better as a football player. I think the best football for you is ahead. I think you have a really bright future, but I would keep that humility the entire time you’re here. It’s going to allow you to be coachable. It’s going to allow you to maximize this experience in the classroom and on the football field, and we can’t wait to get you here.” — Franklin to Donkoh via Zoom on Signing Day
