The early signing period for football prospects in the Class of 2020 is upon us, and Penn State is expected to bring in a larger-than-usual class throughout the day. On the Penn State blog today, I’ll be breaking down each of the signees. Here is my scouting report on Washington D.C. offensive line prospect Olu Fashanu.
Penn State offensive line prospect Olu Fashanu. PHOTO BY PENN STATE ATHLETICS
Height: 6-5
Weight: 320
School: Gonzaga HS (D.C.)
Projected position: Offensive tackle
Rating: Four stars by Rivals.com; Three stars by 247sports and ESPN
Other offers: Alabama, Boston College, Duke, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest.
Projection: Fashanu is a bit of a coin toss as a prospect. The recruiting services are somewhat torn on him, but the big-time programs – Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Michigan, among others – were all on board with offers. He’s not the tall, lanky, athletic type Penn State has been recruiting lately; he’s built more like a refrigerator. But he’s a mauler in the run game, and he shows decent footwork while pass protecting. Overall, his technique is merely OK, but if he takes well to college-level coaching, he’ll have a good chance to become really good, because the tools are there. After a few years working on his overall athleticism and technique, Fashanu could make a run at some playing time at right tackle by the 2022 season.
Donnie Collins has been a member of The Times-Tribune sports staff for nearly 20 years and has been the Penn State football beat writer for Times-Shamrock Newspapers since 2004. The Penn State Football Blog covers Nittany Lions, Big Ten and big-time college football news from Beaver Stadium to the practice field, the bowl game to National Letter of Intent Signing Day. Contact: dcollins@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5368; @DonnieCollinsTT
