Impact: Penn State’s OL depth tested with Landon Tengwall forced away from football
Penn State’s offensive line has been without projected starting left guard Landon Tengwall throughout preseason camp in August and with word of his medical retirement from football, the Nittany Lions have been forced to pivot up front. Regardless of Tengwall’s status coming into the season, redshirt junior JB Nelson was expected to factor into the mix heavily in 2023. With Tengwall no longer an option, Nelson is the unquestioned starter at left guard as the Nittany Lions set to kick off the 2023 campaign.
The 6-foot-5, 332-pounder made a leap in spring ball after playing in the allotted four games which allowed him to retain his redshirt status in 2022. The former Lackawanna College standout was expected to split reps with Tengwall coming into camp, but he’ll now assume the full-time role.
Link: Projecting Penn State’s offensive depth chart
“We went into this year feeling like JB was going to factor in, either as a starter or starter type reps, is how I viewed it coming into the season.” James Franklin said last week. “He’s built on that.
“His habits are a lot better in terms of how he practices, approaches, meetings, and everything else. You can make the argument he may be our most physical offensive lineman. I know talking to our defensive linemen, they got a ton of respect. So we expected him to play a significant role this year.”
Nelson was not only expected to push for time at guard, but he was also pegged as a swing option that could supply potential depth at offensive tackle.
“I feel like I can provide a lot,” Nelson told BWI. “I can play multiple positions on the offensive line. With my JUCO background playing offensive tackle, I feel comfortable moving around and playing multiple positions. I feel like we have really good depth. Every single guy on our O-Line can play and I feel like every guy prepares like he’s the starter and when it’s time to step up, we’ll step up.”
Penn State’s interior depth tested without Landon Tengwall
Heading into the season, Penn State felt very good about where things stood on the interior offensive line from a depth perspective. The Nittany Lions were to go two-deep at all three positions with a mix of experienced starters and upstart young players. Losing Tengwall obviously hurts, but is will also pull on seams elsewhere up front. Nelson will slide into the starting role at left guard, leaving redshirt freshman Vega Ioane as the top backup at both guard spots.
Nelson’s backup, from a depth chart perspective at least, is true freshman Anthony Donkoh. Donkoh has received high praise so far in his first preseason camp, but he remains a freshman and a four-game plan seems like the right play for the Virginia native. With Penn State’s depth tested, Donkoh’s yellow outlook may be a little more green now. Fellow freshman Alex Birchmeier could also see some limited run in what is expected to be a redshirt year.
Sophomore Drew Shelton, who doubles as the Nittany Lions’ third offensive tackle, could also be roped inside for reps. He played there some as a true freshman and he should have the ability to slide down in a pinch. Shelton is comfortable on the left side as well. Redshirt junior center Nick Dawkins will also factor in. The team’s backup center has also played guard as the Nittany Lions like to cross-train all of their interior players to play both.
The residual effect of Tengwall’s medical retirement
As evidenced by Penn State’s November run last year, every injury on the offensive line will end up affecting something else down pecking order. Tengwall’s presence allowed Penn State to move Nelson around in a fourth tackle role. Now relied upon as the full-time starter, Nelson’s focus must remain on the inside. The Nittany Lions are fine with three tackles in Olu Fashanu, Caedan Wallace and Shelton, but game-ready depth at tackle is hard to come by. Freshman J’ven Wiliams and veteran Ibrahim Traore were both with the travel squad at practice last week, but both would be a clear drop-off from the top three. With Tengwall out of the picture, Williams’ freshman outlook has gotten a little greener from an early-action standpoint.
Shelton, who started five games last year and was successful for a true freshman, is the key cog here. He’s now bigger, listed at 308 pounds on the official roster. His versatility could see him end up playing three spots for Penn State in 2023. He’s the Nittany Lions’ future at offensive tackle, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him getting run both inside and out in September.
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