Sal Wormley looks around the Penn State locker room and sometimes reminisces about the guys who were part of his recruiting class in 2019.
Some of them are in the NFL. Some of them are playing football at other colleges. Some aren’t playing at all. Some are still there.
Wormley and three others – defensive linemen Hakeem Beamon, Dvon J-Thomas and Smith Vilbert – are preparing for their sixth seasons with the Nittany Lions.
“It definitely feels like I’m the old head (on the offensive line),” Wormley said. “I’m a little out of place. At the same time I do get respect from the younger guys because they’ve seen what I’ve done and the potential I have as a leader. So it’s a good and bad feeling.”
Wormley considered leaving Penn State for the NFL before he decided to return for his third season as a starter at right guard. He feels he has unfinished business after what he described as an inconsistent 2023 season.
“I just really felt like I had a lot more that I could do and show,” he said. “I just felt like I needed another year to be able to show my talent and show what I’m capable of.
“I haven’t made it to the league yet. I haven’t won any awards. I haven’t done anything. Of course, I feel like I have something to prove.”
When Penn State begins preseason camp Wednesday, Wormley’s experience will be vital on a line with three new starters after Olu Fashanu, Caedan Wallace and Hunter Nourzad became NFL draft picks. He and fellow guards JB Nelson and Vega Ioane have the most experience, along with tackle Drew Shelton, who has started six games in his career.
“It’s hard when you lose three starters, three older guys who really were leaders on the team,” Wormley said. “So now we have a younger O-line. I feel as though we’re doing way more communication. We’re making sure we’re talking through everything and making sure everybody knows what we’re doing.
“Our potential is the same as we had the last two years. If not, we can be greater. We have to instill that mindset in every single player that we can do this.”
Wormley is locked in at right guard and fifth-year senior Nick Dawkins at center. Nelson and Ioane, who split time last year at left guard, might both be on the first team. Nelson can play guard or tackle and might wind up at right tackle.
Shelton, the former Downingtown West standout, is the leading candidate to succeed Fashanu at left tackle with Wyomissing product J’ven Williams behind him. Shelton missed spring practice after undergoing surgery for an upper-body injury, but Penn State coach James Franklin said last week at Big Ten Media Days that he is ready for preseason camp with no limitations.
“We know what Drew is,” offensive line coach Phil Trautwein said. “We would have loved to have Drew out there (for spring practice) getting better. But we know that he was able to start in the Peach Bowl and play 400 snaps last year. He’s probably played close to 1,000 snaps in his career, so he has the reps that he knows he can play.”
Dawkins, the son of late basketball legend Darryl Dawkins, backed up Nourzad the last two seasons. He’s an engaging team leader with a dynamic personality.
“He was always a hard worker and he always wanted it,” Trautwein said. “I would say that he’s working the same but that he’s getting a little better. Sometimes it takes guys five years to get on the field. Everybody’s story is different.”
Nelson is a powerful blocker who’s in his third season at Penn State after transferring from Lackawanna College. He started eight games last season and Ioane five, including the Peach Bowl. Nelson also is an option at right tackle because of his experience and versatility.
“JB’s flexibility is huge,” Trautwein said. “If you rattled off the starters, I don’t know who’s going to be in there. Where are they all going to fit? You don’t want to see one of our best players not on the field.”
Wisconsin transfer Nolan Rucci, a former Pennsylvania high school star at Warwick, and promising redshirt freshman Anthony Donkoh also are in the mix at right tackle.
At guard, the 6-4, 342-pound Ioane was impressive in spring practice, by all accounts. He’s a people mover who has a nasty streak.
“He had that look in his eye (in the spring) that he wanted to go out and dominate and he did,” Trautwein said. “It was just awesome to see. He’s a great kid. He’s a hard worker. He does everything right.”
Trautwein hopes Wormley can duplicate what Wallace did last year, and that’s to make a big improvement over the previous season. The 6-3, 330-pound Wormley understands he needs to be steady and reliable.
“I think I did OK last year,” he said. “But I would like to be more consistent and reliable throughout games. I would have good drives back-to-back, but then one drive I would mess up on a couple plays. I would really like to fix that.”
Wormley said he was inspired by Fashanu, Nourzad and Wallace to raise his game. He wants to become the eighth Penn State offensive lineman since 2020 to be drafted by the NFL. He also wants to be a mentor.
“Of course you miss the guys that you’ve been with for so long,” he said. “But you’re also ready to encourage the next generation and help them get better.”
Source: Berkshire mont