What the Kansas City Chiefs Are Getting in Penn State's Hunter Nourzad

Lightly recruited in high school, Nourzad became a two-year starting lineman at Penn State and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Penn State offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State's Hunter Nourzad went unnoticed in high school. That isn't happening in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs selected the Nittany Lions center in Round 5 of the 2024 NFL Draft, furthering Nourzad's fascinating road from Atlanta to Cornell to Penn State to the two-time defending Super Bowl champs.

Nourzad became the third Penn State lineman selected in the draft, completing the program's best draft for offensive lineman since 1996. That year, four lineman were drafted, all of whom started on the undefeated Rose Bowl team of 1994. This year, Nourzad is one of Penn State's more interesting draft stories.

An unranked recruit from The Walker School in Georgia, Nourzad received one FBS offer, from Army, and ultimately chose to attend Cornell. He earned an engineering degree from Cornell, where he was a multi-year starter, an AFCA second-team All-American and a first-team Ivy League lineman. The offers rolled in from there: Iowa, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan State and Illinois, among others. Nourzad chose Penn State in 2022, enrolled in an MBA program and became a "foundation" of the Nittany Lions' line, as head coach James Franklin said.

RELATED: A remarkable draft for Penn State offensive linemen: Olu Fashanu to the New York Jets, and Caedan Wallace to the New England Patriots.

Nourzad was a two-year starter at guard and center for the Lions, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors last season. He started 21 games for the Lions, 13 at center, and earned a grade of 74.4 from Pro Football Focus. Nourzad made a relatively smooth transition from the Ivy League to the Big Ten, becoming an anchor of Penn State's line over two seasons. He also earned respect in the program.

"Culturally, he's been a great culture fit for us," Penn State coach James Franklin said last season. "He's really well-respected in the locker room from the players and from the staff. I think him coming back [last] year was important for him and us. That was a decision that he needed to make. I think it was the right decision.

"... His ability to play center and guard is extremely valuable, and his approach, his maturity, gosh, he's getting an MBA right now from Penn State. When he's not in class, he's in the weight room, stretching, working on mobility. He's just one of those guys that I think is a really good example of the importance of maturity on your football team."

RELATED: How Penn State's James Franklin attended two draft parties on the first night of the NFL Draft

Nourzad played hurt last season, and a knee stress fracture limited Nourzad on the all-star game circuit and at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was unable to work out at the combine or Penn State's Pro Day, where he said he was rounding into shape. "I'm just kind of playing the cards I was dealt," Nourzad said at Pro Day. He expected to be at full strength soon.

Nourzad (6-3, 320 pounds) can play all three inside positions, a trait that NFL teams value. He has a recency bias toward center, probably his most natural position, but could slot into either guard spot comfortably if needed.

"I think that can really fit in with most schemes," Nourzad said. "Outside zone is something Penn State started really leaning on in the later part of the year, and I feel extremely comfortable in outside zone. I am a little bigger than most centers so I think my feet are good enough and I’m quick enough to be able to run outside zone schemes. I would feel extremely comfortable in that scheme."

The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked Nourzad as the No. 4 center in the draft, citing his "powerful frame and functional strength." And though he started 41 games in college, Nourzad spent just one season at center. But as he has proven, Nourzad maximizes his opportunities.

More Penn State Draft News

Tight end Theo Johnson goes to the New York Giants in the fourth round

Why offensive tackle Olu Fashanu is "only going to get better" with the New York Jets

What the Miami Dolphins are getting in defensive end Chop Robinson

New England Patriots select offensive tackle Caedan Wallace in the third round

How Penn State's James Franklin attended two draft parties on opening night of the NFL Draft

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.