How Penn State's Offensive Line Became the Strength of the Program

It took a while, but Nittany Lions coach James Franklin has built one of the Big Ten's best offensive lines.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) gestures at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter of the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

When James Franklin arrived at Penn State in 2014, simply fielding an offensive line represented a victory. The notion that his offensive line could win an national award was a fantasy.

But today, Penn State's offensive line meets daily in a position room with reminders everywhere. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein had posters made featuring the Joe Moore Award, given annual to the top offensive line in college football, and the phrase, "This is our year."

"This is the first time I truly believe that," Trautwein said.

Twelve painstaking years later, Penn State coach James Franklin has built a position group with talent, depth, experience and NFL chops. Trautwein, Franklin's third offensive line coach, leads a room with more than 20 offensive linemen, at least 8-9 of whom he said could rotate across the front this season. That includes six players who return with starting experience, five of whom are potential NFL draft picks next season.

Now, the offensive line might be the best position group on the roster. Pro Football Focus ranks Penn State's offensive line 10th in the country, and its success will drive everything about Penn State's offense this season.

"Totally changed," Franklin said of the line. "When I got here, people just brushed us over like, no big deal, but we had like four offensive lineman, I think was the number when I got here, in the entire program. I think now we're at 22, 25, something like that. ... We're in a different spot."

RELATED: Previewing Penn State's 2025 offensive line

Rebuilding Penn State's line took time

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Nick Dawkins (53) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Penn State's current offensive line starters were in elementary school when Franklin took over the program in 2014. He arrived to face scholarship limits as a result of NCAA sanctions that prompted a strategic decision by former head coach Bill O'Brien. Namely, O'Brien sought to recruit skill-position players over linemen, hoping he could swing his front guys on offense and defense.

Through sanctions and attrition, Franklin had a thin line room to start. He moved defensive linemen to offense and trained linemen to play multiple spots. It took years to rebuild the position. From 2016-2020, Penn State had one offensive linemen drafted: guard Connor McGovern to Dallas in 2019.

Gradually, though, Penn State added players. Interior linemen Michal Menet and Will Fries both were drafted in 2021. Tackle Rasheed Walker was drafted in 2022. Center Juice Scruggs, a second-round pick in 2023, was Penn State's highest-drafted lineman since Donovan Smith in 2015.

The breakthrough came in 2024, when three Penn State offensive linemen were drafted, including first-round pick, and consensus All-American, Olu Fashanu. The last time Penn State had produced three drafted linemen was 1996. Gradually, the position had changed.

Building an offensive line with 'tremendous competition'

POV- short yardage in happy valley. Good looking group up front pic.twitter.com/tAhCDrlOm8

— Jake Butt (@Jbooty88) August 6, 2025

Last season, four Penn State linemen earned all-Big Ten honors, including second-team selection Vega Ioane. And all four return: left tackle Drew Shelton, Ioane at left guard, Nick Dawkins at center and Anthony Donkoh at right tackle.

Penn State also returns right tackle Nolan Rucci, who took over for the injured Donkoh in the postseason and was one of Pro Football Focus' highest-graded linemen of the College Football Playoff.

Penn State OT Nolan Rucci Last Season:

🐾 297 Pass Block Snaps
🐾 1 Sack Allowed
🐾 74.5 Run Block Grade@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/JVGQxsipSm

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 27, 2025

Penn State now has six real starters on the offensive line, as sophomore guard Cooper Cousins returns with a stockpile of playing time. It even has two competitions on the right side. Donkoh, healthy again after his season-ending injury last November at Minnesota, is playing guard and tackle. He could slot comfortably at either spot, allowing either Rucci to flourish outside or Cousins to grow inside.

"There's tremendous competition," Franklin said. "I'm not sure how it's going to work out. Donkoh was playing as well as anybody in the country before his injury. Rucci comes in and finishes the season as well as any tackle in the country. And then we've got some young guys that are fighting and battling them as well. I would also say, we have worked hard at creating position flexibility. So a guy like Donkoh also has the ability to play inside."

How Penn State can put its line cohesion to creative uses

Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane (71) celebrates with running back Quinton Martin Jr. after the freshman scored a touchdown during the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Consider what Penn State's offense could do with that line depth. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki deploted six-linemen formations in short-yardage situations last year. Kotelnicki could roll out seven-man fronts — or roll Ioane in motion again for a play that became a college football meme in 2024.

"That's not just good for our offense," Franklin said. "That's good for our defense. That iron sharpens iron every single day."

Added Dawkins, "Imagine what we can do with multiple O-line sets and what we can do in short yardage, goal-line, low red zone, third down, fourth down, things like that. It just adds so many elements to our offense. We can put guys in the backfield as fullbacks. We can legitimately do so many things.

"It also adds another layer of rotation. We don't just have to play the same five linemen the whole game. Defensive linemen rotate all game, and we keep the same five in. It gives guys a breather and allows them to stay fresh for a long season. Because last year was a long season, an we want a longer season."