The 2023 NFL Draft is still months away, but several NFL teams probably reshuffled their draft boards Monday.
Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu told ESPN that he will return next season with the Nittany Lions and not leave for the NFL.
That’s great news for Penn State, of course, but it shakes up the top of the NFL Draft board. Fashanu was widely projected as the top offensive lineman available in the upcoming draft, a potential top-10 pick, and a cornerstone building block for a team’s offensive line.
Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu tells ESPN he will return to school for the 2023 season. The decision comes as a surprise in the NFL world, as @olu_fashanu projected as the top lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft. Huge news for PSU coming off 10-2 year. https://t.co/ZE90qOZzR2 pic.twitter.com/EjTmjwhQeb
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 28, 2022
The 6-6, 310-pound redshirt sophomore is in his first full season as a starter for Penn State, which finished the regular season 10-2.
Fashanu told ESPN he had “unfinished business” at Penn State.
The Nittany Lions’ gain comes at the expense of an NFL team that was probably already penciling in Fashanu as their No. 1 pick and O-line building block.
“I think he would have been the top tackle in this draft and a top-10 pick,” one NFL scout told ESPN. “He’s a check-all-the-boxes guy — high character. He’s a sure-fire high pick. It’s an easy evaluation.”
Some football fans applauded Fashanu’s decision, but others worry about what will happen if he gets hurt or if something else happens to affect his draft status.
https://twitter.com/natewaterstram_/status/1597345722428362753
Money. Look at Matt Barkley for a huge example. Was 1st overall pick, goes back to school, sucked, and was a 4th round pick
— Nate Waterstram (@natewaterstram_) November 28, 2022
It's a dumb decision
— palpatine (@dtorres118) November 28, 2022
https://twitter.com/bob53697941/status/1597359708863893504
https://twitter.com/dcd1957/status/1597359474100305920
he's 19. There's no ticking clock on him. If anything, being a year older makes it less likely he flames out because he's not ready to be in the NFL as a kid
— Donny Huffnagle (@brick295) November 28, 2022
