Penn State to benefit from depth along offensive line

This is Year 6 for Penn State veteran Nick Dawkins.

A standout at Parkland High School in the Lehigh Valley, Dawkins was part of the 2020 PSU recruiting class that also included Olu Fashanu, Tyler Warren, Curtis Jacobs, Parker Washington, Ji’Ayir Brown, Theo Johnson and current Nittany Lions edge rusher Zuriah Fisher.

To put it another way, Dawkins, PSU’s center, has had an up-close view of many offensive line rooms in State College. Not all of them were memorable.

The 2024 O-line helped guide the Lions to a spot in the college playoff semifinals.

This one should be better.

Five players with 2024 starting experience are back: Dawkins, tackles Drew Shelton, Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh and guard Vega Ioane.

Franklin added a veteran guard — Texas A&M’s TJ Shanahan — in the transfer portal, and second-year interior lineman Cooper Cousins is headed for a bigger role.

Finally, third-year Lion J’ven Williams, a former five-star signee, had a strong spring. He can help PSU at multiple spots.

O-line coach Phil Trautwein has a lot of options, and that should allow second-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to expand his playbook.

What does the talent and depth of the 2025 offensive line mean for Drew Allar and the passing game and the duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the run game?

Dawkins provided a glimpse of what it could look like, beginning with Penn State’s Aug. 30 season opener against Nevada at Beaver Stadium.

“You’re just talking from a two-deep perspective,” Dawkins said late last month, fielding a question about the line’s depth. “Imagine what we can do with multiple O-line sets and what we can do in short-yardage (situations), goal-line, low red zone, third down, fourth down and (stuff) like that.”

Expect Kotelnicki to further diversify an offense that averaged 430.2 yards and racked up 69 total touchdowns a year ago.

“It just adds so many elements to our offense,” Dawkins added, referring to the O-line depth. “You know, 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) all game.”