Penn State a winner at NFL draft declaration deadline

The deadline for college football players to declare for the NFL draft has officially passed, and Penn State looks to be among the schools sitting in a good spot as the deadline passes by as we look toward the 2023 season. 247Sports profiled Penn State among their draft declaration deadline winners, and it is easy to see why.

Penn State got a big lift with the return of offensive lineman Olu Fashanu. Fashanu’s decision to return for another season caught many by surprise and had an immediate impact on the mock drafts out there. Had he gone to the draft, Fashanu was being viewed by draft analysts as a potential first-round draft pick. His return to Penn State gives the offensive line some great stability and continuity as the offense moves to a new starting quarterback in Drew Allar and hopes to continue to watch the young running back dup of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen take its next steps.

But the defense is also bringing back a couple of key pieces next year with linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive lineman Adisa Isaac confirming they will be back in blue and white in the fall.

Penn State is losing a couple of key players from the 2022 roster to the 2023 NFL draft process. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. declared for the NFL draft prior to knowing Penn State would be playing in the Rose Bowl, and thus opted out of the bowl season entirely to begin focusing on his draft prep. The decision was hardly a surprise given he likely would have been drafted in 2022 had he gone pro and he could end up being a first-round draft pick in this year’s draft if things work out.

Wide receiver Parker Washington suffered a season-ending injury late in the year, which made it pretty easy for him to sit out the bowl season and focus on what’s next for him at the next level. Washington also declared for the 2023 NFL draft as Penn State was preparing for the Rose Bowl. Washington’s departure for the NFL with eligibility on the table was expected for a while.

With what is coming back to the roster in 2023 and what is expected with some new faces taking on increased roles, and coming off a big victory in the Rose Bowl, Penn State has a lot to look forward to and a good amount of hype it will have to prove worthy of receiving once the season kicks off in the fall.

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Penn State's 2024 football commitment tracker

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Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire