Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane Goes From Viral Star to First-Round Pick

Ioane is the 45th Nittany Lion selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Vega Ioane (right) takes a selfie following the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane became the 45th first-round pick in Penn State football history on Thursday, when the Baltimore Ravens selected him 14th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Ioane also became the second Nittany Lions offensive lineman selected in the first round in three years, joining the New York Jets' Olu Fashanu in 2024.

Penn State's All-America lineman has gone viral several times not only for knocking defenders down but also for jumping over walls to offer a hand. Here's what else to know about Ioane.

Olaivavega Ioane, the viral sensation

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

OL Olaivavega Ioane in motion just mad a MASSIVE hit 😳@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/W6HqpBXiEa

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 5, 2024

Penn State fans remember Ioane's pancake blocks, often after going in motion, that made him a social media star. But in 2025, Ioane went viral for a different reason.

Last November, the Nittany Lions had just lost 38-14 to then-No. 1 Ohio State, their fifth straight loss in a withering meltdown of a season. Players walked grimly back to the locker room at Ohio Stadium, absorbing insults from Buckeyes fans, when Ioane spotted a team equipment staffer struggling to push some gear up a ramp.

Ioane, who is 6-4, 320 pounds, jumped over a wall to help the staff member. Since he didn't test at the NFL Scouting Combine, that move could serve as some good film. The gesture mattered much more.

"When you see what Vega did coming up the ramp to jump across the bannister and help out like that, it's a testimony to the guys we have here in the locker room," Terry Smith, then Penn State's interim head coach, said. "It's a testimony to Penn State and it's a testimony to the program and how things are run here. We've got a locker room full guys like that who are willing to do things like that."

Mark Brennan of Lions247 captured the video that has generated nearly 6 million views.

While being heckled by Ohio State fans, 330-pound Penn State OL Vega Ioane jumped a wall to … help a struggling equipment guy. pic.twitter.com/6QuCIPRXav

— Mark Brennan (@MarkXBrennan) November 2, 2025

Who is Vega Ioane?

Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane (71) celebrates a touchdown during the 2025 Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadum. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane grew up in Graham, Washington, with eight siblings. He played for Graham-Kapowsin High, which went 15-0 and won the Class 4A state title his senior year.

Ioane wasn’t among the highest-ranked players in Penn State’s heralded 2022 recruiting class, arriving in State College as a 3-star prospect. But former Penn State assistant coach Stacy Collins, who recruited Ioane, maintained early on that the lineman had an NFL future.

“I was 2000 miles away from home, took a chance on being here, growing up as a man and that’s exactly what Penn State did for me,” Ioane said at Penn State’s Pro Day in March. “Came to campus as a kid, left as a man.”

Ioane redshirted as a freshman in 2022 before becoming an anchor for the Nittany Lions at left guard. In 2024, Ioane started all 16 games through Penn State’s push at a national title, which ultimately fell short at the Orange Bowl. He started 11 games in 2025, missing one due to injury and sitting out of the Pinstripe Bowl. 

Ioane, a second-team All-American in 2025, spent four years at Penn State and entered the draft as a redshirt junior. He could have played with the Nittany Lions for another season.

What Ioane brings to the Baltimore Ravens

“I’m coming in with the mentality that I’m not going to get beat. Nobody is going to touch my quarterback. Simple as that.” pic.twitter.com/CImP9MqeTs

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 24, 2026

At 6-4, 320 pounds, Ioane is a punishing blocker who not allow a sack during his two seasons as a starter. Penn State was often creative with Ioane, motioning him across the formation to become a lead blocker on run plays.  

Ioane plays with power and moves his feet, hips and hands in sync. His agility is one of his defining qualities. He wins most of his matchups when he can quickly latch onto his opponent. Ioane’s body control is another strength, as he maintains balance through contact and anchors the line’s left side, providing quarterbacks time and, more importantly, enough room to throw. 

In run game situations, Ioane excels at creating lanes and making blocks from odd angles when needed. Ioane is also a leader and was one of the stronger voices in the locker room during a lot of the uncertainty at Penn State in 2025. And he isn’t mistake-prone: Ioane was not called for holding last season and committed only one penalty on a false start.

What the Ravens must address with Ioane

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (71) blocks for quarterback Drew Allar (15) against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While pass rushers often stare down Ioane in frustration for diverting them from the quarterback, scouts note that Ioane could improve when facing blitz defensive schemes. Sometimes his reaction time is slow, and he is forced to catch up and recover.

Twitchier rushers have seen more success with getting past Ioane and he prefers to play close and sometimes struggles against lengthier opponents. Through training camp, Ioane must develop more fluidity so he can become more of a force when having to make combo blocks. 

Will Ioane start as a rookie?

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (71) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There is a strong possibility Ioane sees a lot of the field during his first NFL season. Because of how reliable he is in the run game, Ioane can be an asset right away. 

He probably won’t be a consistent starter immediately but is definitely a player who can rotate in without any worry as a “plug-and-play” starter. It would be similar to how Ioane’s workload at Penn State initially grew. In 2023, during his redshirt freshman season, he appeared in every game but started only five. After that, he was always in the starting lineup.

Ioane is Penn State's most NFL-ready prospect, which is why scouts were impressed with him from the start of this draft process.  

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