Penn State offensive lineman Bryce Effner to ‘step away’ from football
Penn State will be down one experienced offensive lineman next season.
Redshirt senior Bryce Effner announced on Instagram on Sunday that he would no longer play football in 2023. Effner still had one year of eligibility remaining.
“These last five years at Penn State have been some of the best years of my life. I will always cherish the memories and relationships made,” Effner wrote. “However, it is time for me to step away from the game I love.”
“I would like to thank my family, teammates, coach Franklin, coach Trautwein, the Penn State fanbase and many others who have played such an important role in my football career,” Effner continued. “Capping off my career with a Rose Bowl victory is something not many are lucky enough to say.”
He played in 12 games, making five starts for the Nittany Lions, and was named as a Big Ten honorable mention by the media. Effner finishes his career with a Rose Bowl victory and aiding his team’s solidification of the offensive line. Juice Scruggs, another redshirt senior, decided to opt for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Effner was the No. 8 player in Illinois in the Class of 2018 and a 3-star offensive tackle commit, per 247Sports.
Penn State will return experience to the offensive line with left tackle Olu Fashanu, left guard Landon Tengwall, guard Hunter Nourzad, who is slotted to move to center, right guard Sal Wormley and right tackle Caedan Wallace all returning. Rising sophomore Drew Shelton made a number of starts in place of Fashanu, and could find himself fighting for time on the offensive line with rising junior JB Nelson and fellow rising sophomore Vega Ioane.
Penn State is also slated to add incoming freshmen J’Ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier to the mix.
This story was originally published January 8, 2023 at 2:57 PM.
