Penn State football OT Rasheed Walker declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
Penn State football will be without its best offensive lineman next season. Starting left tackle Rasheed Walker announced Monday afternoon that he’s foregoing the rest of his eligibility and entering the 2022 NFL Draft. Walker made the announcement via his personal Twitter account.
Walker started 32 games for the Nittany Lions in his career and appeared in 36 in his four seasons. The left tackle missed the last three games of his career and was seen on crutches during the week prior to Penn State’s 24-10 Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas.
The offensive tackle’s departure brings Penn State’s early offensive departures to two after star wide receiver Jahan Dotson announced in late December that he’ll be leaving early for the draft. Walker was a bright spot along an offensive line that struggled in 2021.
Penn State will have to replace Walker and Eric Wilson along the left side of the offensive line, but the options to replace the former were able to get reps due to his injury. Landon Tengwall earned the start against Rutgers after an injury to Olu Fashanu kept him out, James Franklin said at his pre-Outback Bowl press conference.
Fashanu earned the nod in the game against Arkansas and has the prototypical size to replace Walker at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds.
Penn State will need Fashanu and others to step up as it looks to take a step forward in 2022 in offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s second season at the helm.
