Penn State's Olu Fashanu Named Outland Trophy Player of the Week

The left tackle helped guide the Nittany Lions' offense to a dominating performance against Iowa.

Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu was named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week following the Nittany Lions' dominating 31-0 victory over Iowa on Saturday. The Football Writers Association of America selected Fashanu for its weekly honor.

Fashanu, Penn State's all-conference left tackle, led the offense to total control of time of possession and number of plays against the Hawkeyes. The Lions controlled the clock, holding the ball for 45:27 and ran nearly three times as many plays as the Hawkeyes (97-33). According to Pro Football Focus, Fashanu did not allow a pressure against Iowa.

Fashanu (6-6, 320 pounds) landed on the Outland Trophy preseason watch list after earning second-team all-Big Ten and Walter Camp All-American honors in 2022. That was despite missing the season's final five games because of injury. Against Iowa, Fashanu played a season-high 83 snaps after getting 69 the week before at Illinois and just 32 against Delaware.

Penn State coach James Franklin has said that he wants to mitigate Fashanu's snaps to preserve him not only for this season but also for his NFL future. Fashanu received a first-round grade for the 2023 NFL Draft but chose to return for his third season in the program. He was named a team captain this season.

"You really don’t make the modifications like we’re making with Olu unless the guy is just truly, truly, truly a proven commodity," Franklin said.

The Outland Trophy goes to the nation's top interior lineman. Penn State defensive tackle Mike Reid won in 1969, and defensive tackle Devon Still was a finalist in 2011.

Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu (74) was named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week after the Nittany Lions' win over Iowa :: Dan Rainville/USA Today Sports

More on Penn State

Penn State Football on SI.com

Prolific Pennsylvania running back commits to Penn State

Penn State lands its first recruiting commitment after the 2023 White Out

Top takeaways from Penn State's shutout victory over Iowa

Penn State 31, Iowa 0: Breakdown of a Big Ten beatdown

Penn State-Iowa report card: A White Out shutout

Penn State's defense flattens Iowa with 2021 on its mind

Football's only part of Micah Parsons' success, James Franklin says

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.