Penn State will likely play the Rose Bowl without a prominent offensive lineman.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, offensive tackle Olu Fashanu is expected to sit out Monday’s game against Utah. The redshirt sophomore is considered a game-time decision after suffering an undisclosed injury against Ohio State on Oct. 29.
Fashanu went from a backup in 2021 to one of college football’s premier linemen. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler pegged the three-star recruit as his No. 5 overall 2023 NFL Draft prospect in November before Fashanu decided to stay in school.
“We’ve had conversations with him and his family,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said, per the Daily Collegian‘s Spencer Ripchik. “Part of Olu making the decision to come back was also about him being physically ready to play but also mentally ready to play. He does not want to rush back from this injury.”
Fashanu helped pave the way for an offense that registered 182.1 rushing yards per game and limited the opposition to just 14 sacks on starting quarterback Sean Clifford. The Nittany Lions will miss him while trying to keep pace with a Utes squad averaging 40.0 points per game.
The Rose Bowl kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.