The ultimate rating was 38-14.
Penn State had simply misplaced their fifth recreation of the 2025 school soccer season on the street to Ohio State, their fifth Large Ten loss in a row. Head coach James Franklin had already been dismissed, and the heckling followers at The Horseshoe had been serenading the guests with chants of “0-and-5” because the gamers made their approach to the locker room.
That’s when this occurred:
It is only one second in time, but it surely speaks volumes about Penn State draft prospect Olaivavega Ioane.
And the participant he might be on the subsequent degree.
Between the strains, there’s a lot to like about Ioane’s recreation, and several other traits you possibly can level to when making the case he would be the first inside offensive lineman taken within the 2026 NFL Draft, and maybe stands out as the most effective offensive line prospect total. Lance Zierlein at NFL.com referred to as him a “[p]rototypical guard for bodily run schemes with thick limbs, a broad body and plus core power.” Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, one of many preeminent consultants on offensive line play, wrote that “his persistence, stability and energy profile challenge to an early NFL starter who can management the pocket inside and turn into a tone-setter in a downhill or balanced run scheme.” At The RingerTodd McShay declared that Ioane “is the most effective offensive line prospect on this class, and he’s arguably the most effective guard prospect since 2018 sixth choose Quenton Nelson. He’s a prime 10 participant total, however positional worth might trigger him to fall into the kids.”
These opinions are shared by the better scouting neighborhood. Once we requested NFL followers concerning the gamers they cherished within the 2026 NFL Draft class, Ioane was one of many extra widespread responses:
Let’s dive into a few of these traits, beginning with that clip of Ioane in movement.
Sure, that is actually enjoyable to see, and an illustration of his energy on the sphere, however he is not going to at all times be put in movement when he will get to the NFL.
Which is why moments like this are vital for his analysis:
It is a short-yardage play towards Nebraska on the objective line, and Ioane is tasked with dealing with the defensive deal with throughout from his left guard alignment in a one-on-one state of affairs. Penn State is operating proper behind Ioane on this hole design, and the left guard bullies his task away from the play, and into the turf.
Right here is one other key inside block on an influence design, approaching the within towards Michigan State:
Take this play towards Ohio State, the place he will get to the nostril deal with proper after the snap and controls him proper on the level of assault:
A few of his finest work within the run recreation comes with him on the transfer as a puller, as he’s on this play towards Northwestern. Watch him dip round the proper edge, determine the crashing downhill risk, and rock that defender again off the road to spring an enormous run:
Performs like these additionally assist Ioane handle the athleticism query, which is maybe the one space of debate in his draft profile. However whenever you see him on the transfer like he’s right here towards Nebraska, moving into area and taking over a security downfield, you begin to see that a part of his recreation come to life:
And that athleticism does assist him on zone-blocking assignments. Whereas he is likely to be finest suited — or ideally suited — for a gap-heavy offense, there are flashes of Ioane standing out on each inside zone and out of doors zone run performs. And a part of Ioane’s analysis ought to be aware that Penn State ran extra hole/energy designs, so there aren’t as many examples of him executing zone blocks
However there are examples, comparable to this 53-yard run the place Ioane climbs to the second degree and cuts off the angle from the Rutgers linebacker:
Or on this snap towards UCLA, the place he has to execute a “attain” block on a defensive deal with to his exterior. Watch as Ioane’s footwork offers him the angle, and from there he seals off the defender to create a dashing lane:
In fact, life for a lineman within the NFL means numerous pass-blocking snaps. Ioane’s footwork and talent to anchor stand out right here as effectively. On this play towards Rutgers, watch as he mirrors an inside transfer from his defender, sliding his toes earlier than anchoring on a third-down play:
Right here is that potential to anchor once more, on a snap towards the nationwide champions:
Lastly, right here is a good instance of Ioane working till late within the play, anchoring and re-anchoring on this cross towards Oregon:
These are the traits, and the examples, which have so many within the scouting neighborhood excessive on the Penn State inside offensive lineman.
However as you all know, there may be extra to the draft analysis than some clips pulled from watching video games.
There may be the participant himself.
That brings us again to the place we started, and a 38-14 loss to Ohio State halfway by the faculty soccer season. It was a darkish second in a season stuffed with them for Penn State, and the jeers that rained down on Ioane and his teammates had been sadly the norm for the Nittany Lions a yr in the past.
Even in that second, Ioane discovered a approach to assist a teammate.
“Easy as certainly one of my teammates, only a totally different model,” Ioane stated after the Ohio State recreation. “Lots of people, who’re exterior the constructing, don’t know that we don’t run with out them guys like that. We are able to’t observe with out them. We are able to’t go to video games with out them. Simply so simple as serving to out our teammate.”
The second went viral, as you possibly can inform, with greater than 100K likes on X alone. However when requested extra about that second, Ioane deflected the credit score elsewhere.
“My mother was slightly emotional about it, however very proud. So was my dad,” Ioane stated. “They by no means thought their son would go viral for one thing like that, however a reasonably cool second for my mother and father to see. A little bit little bit of the result that was their laborious work.”
He additionally returned to the concept of serving to others, particularly in troublesome instances.
“It’s an enormous a part of us shifting ahead,” Ioane stated. “Like I stated, we don’t transfer with out them, so similar factor as them, they’ll’t transfer with out us. We bought to be all in it collectively as a household. That’s what we’re, since you bought to maintain going collectively.”
And it’s this element of his analysis that may simply stand out above all.
As a result of whenever you get proper all the way down to it, the job of an offensive lineman is to assist. To assist safe dashing lanes on your operating backs, to assist hold you quarterback clear within the pocket. To get powerful, get soiled, and discover a approach to get the job carried out.
Even within the darkest moments.
Ioane’s play on the sphere is what’s going to make him a first-round choose.
However it’s what he confirmed in that second at Ohio State that can make him one thing even higher within the NFL.
