Anthony Donkoh has experienced nearly every high and low imaginable during his Penn State career.
He arrived in Happy Valley as a highly regarded four-star recruit. He became a two-year starter. He was recognized as one of the top freshmen in the nation. He battled season-ending injuries, played multiple positions across the offensive line and lived through one of the most turbulent seasons in recent Penn State history.
Now, entering Matt Campbell’s first season as head coach, Donkoh finds himself in perhaps his most important role yet: the veteran leader holding together a completely reshaped offensive line.
While Donkoh’s selection as one of Penn State’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days may have surprised some, it quickly became evident why he was chosen. Few players better represent the program’s resilience, experience and willingness to put the team first.
For Donkoh, leadership begins long before kickoff.
“When you do things off the field and you’re able to bond really well, that immediately transfers to the field,” Donkoh said during Big Ten Media Days. “We’re building trust and faith in each other before we even step on the field.
“It’s better that we build the bonds off the field first because the on-the-field stuff can be superficial. Off the field, ‘You’re my brother.’ That’s how it has to be. That’s how it has been. It’s been great.”
Penn State is replacing nearly its entire offensive line with guys like Vega Ioane, Nick Dawkins, Nolan Rucci, and Drew Shelton moving on, with Donkoh standing as the lone returning full-time starter.
Iowa State transfer Trevor Buhr is expected to start at guard alongside Cooper Cousins, while Texas State transfer Brock Riker appears to be the favorite at center. Meanwhile, Malachi Goodman, Garrett Sexton and Owen Aliciene are battling for the left tackle position.
The group also must protect new quarterback Rocco Becht while opening running lanes for transfer running back Carson Hansen – who seems to be Campbell’s bell cow in the final stretch of practices.
For offensive linemen, developing chemistry quickly isn’t optional, it is paramount and is the foundation for any offensive success.
“If the guys on the offensive line aren’t the closest group on the team, nothing good will happen,” Donkoh said. “It was pretty quick. The guys who were here and the guys who were coming in, we don’t have big egos or pride so it was very easy to get to know each other, build relationships and bond pretty quickly. We were able to build trust during spring practice.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Donkoh quietly put together one of the Big Ten’s steadier seasons in 2025 despite playing through injuries. He earned a 73.8 overall pass-blocking grade while allowing just one sack, two quarterback hits and 12 hurries across 343 pass-blocking snaps. His overall blocking grade also checked in at 73.8, illustrating the consistency Penn State expects to build around this fall.
Recovering from offseason surgery forced Donkoh to miss spring practice while the new coaching staff began installing its systems.
Instead of becoming frustrated, he used the time to improve areas of his game that previously had been overlooked.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“It’s never fun to get injured,” Donkoh said. “You just have to live with it and move on. The recovery wasn’t easy, but it hasn’t been the worst thing I’ve done. It was like a blessing in disguise because I was able to work on the stuff that was hindering me early on in my career and fill in those gaps. I feel like I’m the strongest I’ve been in my career.”
Health has become a recurring storyline throughout Donkoh’s career.
He first entered the starting lineup during the 2023 Peach Bowl after first-round NFL Draft pick Olu Fashanu opted out. Donkoh seized the opportunity, winning Penn State’s starting right tackle job the following season before suffering a season-ending leg injury late in the year as the Nittany Lions advanced to the College Football Playoff.
“I got hurt and I wasn’t able to be part of the team that made that run,” Donkoh said. “I was able to internalize things and know that the worst is never the worst in life.”
Last season presented different adversity.
Penn State opened 3-0 before losing its first three Big Ten games, a stretch that ultimately resulted in James Franklin’s dismissal. Donkoh believes one lesson from that difficult season still resonates inside the locker room.
“When we won our first three games, you saw a lot of guys being content,” Donkoh said. “Then we get into a game and we get punched in the mouth, we don’t know what to do. We can’t be a deer in headlights. We have to keep the focus the same and keep going on the same path.”
Another welcome development for Donkoh is returning to right tackle after spending much of last season at right guard.
While he appreciated the experience of playing inside, tackle remains where he believes his athleticism can make the biggest impact.
“At tackle, the game speed is pretty fast because you’re going against the fastest D-linemen,” Donkoh said. “At guard it’s like a boxing match going against the strongest D-linemen. I loved the experience at guard because you don’t really get the straight-on, brute stuff at tackle.
“I like playing tackle a little bit more because I can use my God-given abilities to make a difference.”
Campbell has inherited a roster filled with transfers, returning veterans and freshmen learning to play together. Donkoh has embraced becoming the bridge between those groups.
Whether that translates into one of the Big Ten’s better offensive lines remains to be seen, but Penn State already knows one thing.
Its offensive line has a leader who has experienced almost everything college football can throw at him and believes the strongest foundation isn’t built in the meeting room or on the practice field, but in the relationships forged long before kickoff.
