Why Penn State’s interior offensive line could set the tone for the offense in 2023

We’ve got one offensive position group left to examine as we break down Penn State’s potential depth chart. We’ve examined the sophomore phenom at quarterback, the best running back duo in the country, the battle for the No. 1 receiver job, the potential rise of another great tight end and the best offensive tackle in the country.

Now we kick it inside and look at the final three starting spots in the unit at arguably the least heralded but some of the most important positions on the field.

Let’s take a look at Penn State’s likely rotation at guard and center heading into the 2023 season.

Projected starters: Redshirt sophomore Landon Tengwall, redshirt seniors Hunter Nourzad and Sal Wormley

There should be much more rotation at guard and center than there will be at tackle, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this group intertwine quite a bit with the next one. That being said, this is still the likely group to start and these should be the primary three heading into the season — although there is at least one player who could really shake things up among the backups. For now, things start with Tengwall, Nourzad and Wormley.

Tengwall is the best — and youngest — of the bunch. I already wrote about how he can kick out to tackle in case of emergency, which is a testament to his versatility, but that’s a backup plan because he’s so good at guard. Tengwall, the likely starter at left guard, is physically imposing at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds and is a road grader in the running game. He gets downhill and finishes blocks while having the movement skills to get there in the first place. Bigger defensive tackles don’t bother him in the passing game because of his size and length and he has quick enough feet to deal with more athletic defenders. Tengwall has a chance to play in the NFL down the road and this year will go a long way into helping him get there.

To his right should be Nourzad at center, who enters his second year at Penn State after beginning his career at Cornell. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman will have to step into Juice Scruggs’ — the previous starting center who left for the NFL — role as the primary communicator on the line. His experience should help with that transition, which will be more important with a young quarterback like Drew Allar behind him. Nourzad is at his best in the running game as a blocker, pulling from his spot and leading the way on the outside by getting downfield like a heat-seeking missile in search of its next target. He doesn’t have elite size, but few centers do and he should get enough help from the team’s guards that he doesn’t have to take many defensive tackles on in isolation.

Wormley is the least athletic of the bunch but showed he has the physicality to handle the size and strength of interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten. He’s closer to Nourzad than Tengwall in size at 6-foot-3, 324 pounds, but doesn’t move all that well. That is always going to limit him. That being said, his strength helps when it comes to walling off in the passing game, even if he isn’t ideal as a pulling guard. Wormley is a starter level guard in the Big Ten and should be a steady piece in this unit as long as he’s in it.

Key backups: Redshirt freshman Vega Ioane, redshirt juniors Nick Dawkins and JB Nelson

The backup most likely to force his way into the starting lineup is Ioane and for good reason. He’s a giant at 6-foot-4, 350 pounds but carries that weight like he’s only 250 pounds. He doesn’t provide the steady baseline of play like Wormley just yet, but his upside is tremendous and he can be a force on the offensive line fairly quickly. He’s a people mover at guard, imposing his will on opposing defensive linemen big and small because he has elite strength. He moves well for any size, but especially for a 350-pounder and can stonewall any defensive lineman trying to get to Allar at quarterback. Ioane only played in four games in his first year on campus but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s the breakout performer on the offensive line this season.

Dawkins should back up Nourzad at center and brings a high level of athleticism to the position. The 6-foot-4, 321-pounder’s movement skills are of no surprise when you consider his family tree. His late father Darryl played in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, one cousin is Philadelphia Eagles’ all-time great Brian Dawkins, another is Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns and one more is Buffalo Bills’ guard Dion Dawkins. Nick has all of the athletic tools to succeed and his three seasons with the program should put him in position to sufficiently fill in for Nourzad when it comes to the mental aspect of playing center. He’s an ideal backup because of that experience, and now it’s just a matter of taking all of that athleticism and using it on the field to move the defenders in front of him.

Nelson is an interesting third interior lineman because he came to Penn State from junior college after having played at Lackawanna College, but still needed some development physically. He’s listed at 6-foot-5, 332 pounds and needed to turn some of his weight into more strength over the last year — his first as a Nittany Lion. This offseason has to be a crucial one for him because he needs to make sure he’s physically ready to play at this level. Nelson moves well enough to believe in him as a rotational piece, but his power wasn’t there last year and will need to be in order for him to play significant snaps.

Freshman to watch: True freshman Alex Birchmeier

I say it all the time, but it’s really hard for freshmen offensive linemen to play early in their careers. That may not be the case for Birchmeier, however, because he’s physically ready despite being less than a year out of high school. He’s 6-foot-5, 301 pounds and all of that weight seems to be good weight for a lineman. He was a two-time state champion wrestler, something that should help him with his hand fighting and use of leverage as an interior lineman.

Penn State is good enough to fill out a two-deep on the depth chart without needing Birchmeier, but he’s also good enough to force his way onto the field as a freshman. That could result in him playing in only four regular season games to preserve his redshirt, but that would still be an important step for a player who could be a starter sooner rather than later.