Olu Fashanu makes Penn State football history with All-American selection

Few Penn State football players have been put on a pedestal more this season than LT Olu Fashanu. The praise is warranted, too, as Fashanu is not only one of the standout Nittany Lions on the field but in the classroom as well. The recognition has been pouring in for the star offensive lineman recently. But after being named as a Walter Camp first-team All-American on Friday, the Nittany Lion LT is now in rarefied air among the greats in Penn State football history.

Olu Fashanu cements his place in Penn State football history with Walter Camp first-team All-American selection

A projected top-ten NFL Draft pick last season, Olu Fashanu was already one of the most prominent players in college football coming into the 2023 season. And although the Penn State offense may have been widely criticized this fall, Fashanu delivered. The star LT didn’t allow a sack and gave up only 11 pressures across 382 passing snaps this season. 

Recognition for Fashanu’s efforts on and off the field has been pouring in since the season ended. Last month, Fashanu became the first Penn State player since 2008 to win the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. This week, the Penn State LT was honored as a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, also known as the “Academic Heisman.” 

And Olu Fashanu made history once again yesterday. Friday night, it was announced that the Nittany Lion had been named a Walter Camp first-team All-American. Fashanu becomes the 102nd first-team All-American in school history and the first since Micah Parsons in 2019. 

But the history goes deeper. Fashanu is the first Penn State offensive lineman to be named a first-team All-American by an NCAA-recognized outlet since Stefan Wisniewski was honored by the AFCA in 2010. He is Penn State’s first Walter Camp first-team All-American since Jeff Hartings in 1995. After being named a second-team All-American last year, Fashanu becomes the first Nittany Lion offensive lineman to be recognized as an All-American in back-to-back seasons since Levi Brown in 2005 and 2006. 

Decision time

And now, we wait to see if Olu Fashanu can add another title to his already lengthy list of accomplishments: first-round NFL Draft pick. A projected top-five selection, Fashanu should be a lock to earn this distinction if and when he declares. 

Two other Nittany Lions, Chop Robinson and Theo Johnson, have already declared for the NFL Draft. Robinson will not play in the Peach Bowl game on December 30. Johnson is expected to participate, although the full extent to which he will be involved isn’t clear. 

If Fashanu does announce his decision before the Peach Bowl, it’ll be interesting to see what role, if any, he has for Penn State football when the Nittany Lions take on the No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels in Atlanta.

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