Top draft prospect Fashanu will return to Penn St.
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Pete ThamelESPN
Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu told ESPN he’s returning to school next year, a surprising move in NFL circles considering he is projected as the top offensive line prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
Fashanu, 19, is a redshirt sophomore who is in his first full season as a starter at Penn State. Fashanu is 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds and played high school football at Gonzaga College High in Washington, D.C.
Fashanu established himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the country this season, with some scouts projecting him as likely a top-10 draft pick.
Fashanu said he rarely looks at social media and had no idea about his rising draft stock until teammates showed him a mock draft this season.
Fashanu told ESPN that he felt as if he has “unfinished business” at Penn State and that he’s returning primarily to help the Nittany Lions accomplish bigger goals, specifically naming the Big Ten championship and a national title as two things he’d like to achieve in 2023. He stressed that the potential of the core of young talent at Penn State is appealing to him, and he’s appreciative of the chemistry he has built with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein and with coach James Franklin.
Fashanu also said he’ll get his degree in supply chain management sometime in the next year and plans to start his master’s.
“Penn State is an awesome place to go to school,” he said. “And I can get my education for free.”
Fashanu’s length, athleticism and power are appealing to NFL scouts. After surging to the top of most NFL teams’ boards for the 2023 draft, he will instead likely enter next season in the rare air of top prospects, an early group that is likely to include Drake Maye, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Caleb Williams — his high school teammate from Gonzaga.
“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.”
The pull of his team and his education brought Fashanu back to Penn State. When the young offensive core of freshman quarterback Drew Allar and freshman tailbacks Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen was mentioned to Fashanu, he countered by pointing out how good they can be next year with a full offseason of training and development.
“I just can’t wait to get to work this offseason,” he said.
Fashanu has started just nine games in his career — eight of them came this season. He hasn’t played since getting injured against Ohio State in October, missing the past four games. The undisclosed injury is not considered serious, and he’s expected to participate fully in spring football.
In terms of what Fashanu is looking forward to, aside from his weekly trips to Penn State’s Berkey Creamery for its famed ice cream, he mostly stressed being with his teammates. After making significant progress from 2021 to 2022, he can’t wait to see what happens next year after another offseason of work.
“I feel like we’ve come a long way and there’s more we can do,” he said.
The news is a huge boon to Penn State, which went 10-2 this season and expects to return a talented young roster.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Olu return for the 2023 season,” Franklin said. “He is a person of high character who exemplifies our core values, leads by example and models what it means to be a complete Penn State student-athlete. We will continue to work extremely hard to help Olu achieve all of his goals on and off the field and look forward to another season with him and his family in Happy Valley.”
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is not expected to play against Mississippi State on Saturday, per sources, as the Longhorns staff is expected to sit him out in order for him to be fully healthy for the game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
A final decision on Ewers is expected later Saturday, per sources, but the decision is trending toward allowing him to use Texas’ week off following the Mississippi State game to get healthy. Ewers has been considered week-to-week since injuring his oblique against UTSA on Sept. 14.
Ewers finished the week at nearly 70%, as he practiced Tuesday, was limited Wednesday and ended up limited in practice Thursday to allow him to fully heal. Per sources, the Texas coaching staff wanted to give Ewers the extra rest to ensure he’d return at full strength.
The decision means that Texas will against start backup quarterback Arch Manning, who will make his first career start in an SEC game. Manning made his first start against Louisiana Monroe, completing 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards. He had two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Ewers’ oblique injury came in the wake of him displaying one of the season’s best performances at Michigan in Week 2, as he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout Texas win in Ann Arbor.
Mississippi State enters the game on a three-game losing streak, which includes back-to-back blowout home losses to Toledo and Florida. The Bulldogs are trending toward finishing at the bottom of the SEC, as they have one of the country’s worst defenses. They are No. 111 nationally in total defense and No. 107 in scoring defense.
Mississippi State will also be without its starting quarterback, as starter Blake Shapen is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury against Florida. Michael Van Buren, a true freshman, will make his first career start for the Bulldogs.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a “true game-time decision” for the No. 2 Bulldogs at No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night, according to ESPN sources.
Williams has missed the previous two games with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which he suffered against Clemson in the opener. He’ll be evaluated in pregame warmups and a decision will be made on his status.
Williams has been limited in practice this week, and it’s expected that if he does play it’ll be at less than 100 percent. He’s also unlikely to play a heavy snap count if he does play, as he’s working his way back.
Williams is a marauding defensive end who is the best player in Georgia’s front seven and is a high-end NFL prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 4 overall player for the 2025 NFL draft.
Williams started the season hot before injuring his ankle against Clemson, as he had two tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures in that game.
They will be an onus on Georgia’s defensive line, especially on the ends, to help slow Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia’s defensive line will benefit from the return of senior Warren Brinson, who is listed as probable after missing the past two games. Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Hall is questionable for the SEC showdown.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who has been snakebit by injuries the past two years, is again expected to be a game-time decision against Arizona on Saturday night, sources told ESPN.
Rising has missed No. 10 Utah’s past two games after an injury to his throwing hand that he suffered against Baylor on Sept. 7. He missed all of last season after an ACL tear in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season.
Rising’s status will undergo the same evaluation process with the Utah staff as before the Oklahoma State game last week. He’ll throw the ball pregame, and his ability to deliver spin and velocity on the ball will determine whether he’ll play, per sources.
As Rising has struggled to recover and get back on the field, one factor that could weigh into the decision is the chance to get him back fully healthy in two weeks. Utah has a bye before they play at Arizona State on Oct. 11.
Rising has practiced this week but remained limited as the staff has attempted to rest his finger.
Freshman Isaac Wilson has started the past two weeks, leading the Utes to victories over Utah State in Logan and in Stillwater against the Cowboys.
Wilson has shown both moments of promise and interspersed those with moments that have illuminated his youth. He threw for 207 yards on 17-of-29 passing against Oklahoma State. He also threw two interceptions. He threw for three touchdowns and 239 yards against Utah State.
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