Carl Sagan opened his landmark series Cosmos with one of the most memorable lines in science:
“The cosmos is all that is, or was, or ever will be.”
What that quote means is different for everyone.
For me, it is a reminder of perspective.
Looking up at the universe has a way of making life’s biggest problems seem just a little smaller. It doesn’t erase them, but it reminds us there is always another horizon.
Penn State offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh has lived that lesson over the last three seasons.
Donkoh first announced himself during the 2023 Peach Bowl against Ole Miss when he stepped in for Caedan Wallace. That performance laid the foundation for a breakout 2024 campaign in which he became one of the nation’s top freshman offensive linemen, earning semifinalist honors for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award before a season-ending injury cut short what had been a remarkable year.
Then came 2025.
Penn State entered the season with national championship expectations, but everything unraveled. The Nittany Lions lost six straight games, James Franklin was dismissed after more than a decade leading the program, and the season threatened to spiral completely out of control.
But Donkoh and the offensive line never allowed themselves to quit.
Instead, Penn State rallied behind interim head coach Terry Smith, closing the season with four consecutive victories, including a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.
That experience fundamentally changed Donkoh’s outlook.
“I would say the worst is never really the worst,” Donkoh said. “Things could have been a lot worse last year, but even when we were in a losing season, we were still able to find the motivation, the passion, the next moment, the next thing.
“That’s what helped carry us for the rest of that year and allowed us to finish by winning four games straight. That’s what we’re planning to carry on this year.
“Even when times get tough this year, we just have to think that whatever we’re experiencing, it’s not as bad as it could really be. That’s the really big lesson that we learned this past season and what we’re trying to carry into this season.”
That mindset showed up on the field as well.
According to Pro Football Focus, Donkoh surrendered just one sack over 343 pass-blocking snaps while posting a 73.8 pass blocking grade, continuing to establish himself as one of Penn State’s most dependable linemen.
When Matt Campbell arrived in Happy Valley, Donkoh could have explored other opportunities. Instead, he became the first player to publicly commit to staying with the new coaching staff.
Now entering his redshirt junior season, Donkoh has embraced being one of the veterans in the room.
“I’d say just being able to be that resource that the guys need,” Donkoh said. “I’m a vet now. I’m going into my fourth season, and I have a lot of knowledge that I have to give back to the guys around me because not a lot of the guys, especially on the offensive line, have had the amount of snaps that I’ve had throughout my career.
“Being that person they can talk to when they need help with technique, fundamentals and stuff like that is important. I’ve played guard and tackle in my career, so I can help the guards out, help the tackles out and just help make sure that everybody around me feels confident going into practice and whatever else they’re doing.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.The goals for 2026 are just as ambitious.
Donkoh wants Penn State to field the best offensive line in the country. He wants to pave the way for two 1,000-yard rushers. He wants to protect quarterback Rocco Becht well enough for a 4,000-yard passing season.
Those are lofty expectations, but they reflect the confidence inside the offensive line room.
“Obviously, our goal is to be the best offensive line in the country and to achieve great things,” Donkoh said.
“With that, if I’m playing at my best and doing what I’m doing on the field, then I’m ultimately going to contribute to the success of the entire unit. That’s going to help affect the team, too.
“Being able to have two running backs rush for over 1,000 yards, protecting Rocco and having him throw for over 4,000 passing yards, just having the guys around us be able to turn up is our goal this season.”
Then the conversation took an unexpected turn.
Donkoh, a planetary science and astronomy major, has a genuine fascination with space, so I decided to skip the predictable “Do you believe in aliens?” question.
Instead, I asked him what he thought was the most surprising thing scientists have learned about planetary formation over the last decade.
He laughed.
“That’s the most surprising thing ever. Come back in 10 minutes for your answer,” Donkoh said. “You really put me on the spot. That’s a great question because I actually have to think about that.”
Then he flipped the interview around.
“So what have you learned?” he asked.
I admitted that what fascinates me most isn’t necessarily one discovery, but the bigger picture of how matter left over from the Big Bang eventually formed stars, planets and, somehow, us. That gravity assembled worlds from microscopic particles. That the universe continues to expand, even as we still don’t fully understand where it began or where it ends.
It’s a mind-bending thought.
Maybe that’s why Sagan’s words have always resonated with me.
Perspective matters.
For Donkoh, that perspective has helped him navigate injuries, coaching changes, losing streaks and sky-high expectations without losing sight of the next step forward.
The cosmos may be all that is, or was, or ever will be.
For Penn State, having Anthony Donkoh anchoring the offensive line this season feels like a pretty good place to start.
