Olu is going to the NFL.
On Friday afternoon, All-American left tackle and consensus top-five pick Olu Fashanu declared for the NFL Draft. The 2024 Penn State grad made his announcement on Twitter with the caption: “Thank you Penn State.”
Thank you Penn State💙 pic.twitter.com/tP1LG3EeQI
— Olu Fashanu (@olu_fashanu) December 22, 2023
One of the best, if not the best, offensive linemen in college football, Fashanu did not allow a sack in his college career. Spanning 2020 to 2023, the 6-foot-5 tackle was a stabilizing presence on the PSU offensive line the past two seasons. The team captain kept his quarterback (Sean Clifford, Drew Allar, and others) off the grass on 646 snaps, an incredible run of consistency.
Fashanu took home the Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award and first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 by conference coaches after being second-team last year. Fashanu’s success in the classroom was also recognized as an Academic All-Big Ten honoree. He was named Penn State Offensive Player of the Week three times.
Fashanu had the option to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft a season ago, but opted to return to Penn State, finish his degree, and solidify himself as a top player in football. His bet came with significant rewards. He was named AP First Team All-American alongside defensive end Chop Robinson (Third Team).
.@AP All-Americans 🇺🇸@Olu_Fashanu → First Team@ChopYoungBull → Third Team#WeAre pic.twitter.com/WYe6bfBab8
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 11, 2023
“To the best fans in all of college football, thank you for making these past four years unforgettable,” Fashanu said in a statement. “The support you show week in and week out is truly unrivaled, and I will never forget the memories that were made in Beaver Stadium.”
Penn State averaged over 186 yards per game on the ground in 2023 and finished No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. The Nittany Lions are -2.5 favorites against No. 11 Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
He did not distinctly say he wouldn’t participate in the game, but wrote, “I look forward to spending time with my teammates and coaches in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.”
It’s an announcement many expected, but difficult to lose one of the best linemen in program history. Right tackle Caedan Wallace was also declared for the draft earlier in December.
