Pittsburgh is about 275 miles from Happy Valley, making it a relatively easy drive for the Steelers to go see some in-state talent on Saturday afternoon.
According to a tweet from Joe Smeltzer of Penn State athletics, the Steelers are sending two scouts across the state to watch the Nittany Lions of Penn State take on the Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten Conference matchup.
Penn State is one of the powerhouse teams in college football, and their roster speaks to it. Head coach James Franklin and his staff have done a wonderful job recruiting some of the best talent in the nation and developing them into NFL-caliber prospects, of which the Nittany Lions have several names to watch in this contest.
The most notable name to watch for Penn State is LT#74 Olu Fashanu. The 6’6, 319lb redshirt junior flashed in 2022 after starting only one game the previous season, rising quickly up the boards as one of the top draft-eligible tackles. He decided to come back for this season to improve his draft stock, firmly placing himself in the top ten conversation and possibly the first offensive tackle off the board. He has the size and length you look for at the blindside position on the offensive line and has the athleticism and footwork to mirror pass rushers in pass protection. He sets the depth of the pocket well and has quick feet to cut rushers off their path.
Another talented prospect that Steelers fans should keep an eye on is CB #4 Kalen King. King played opposite current Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. last season and played exceptionally well, recording three interceptions and 15 pass breakups. King is a sticky coverage defender who is smaller than Porter (5-11, 191 pounds), but he moves well in coverage, having the movement skills to quickly change directions and blanket opposing wideouts. Pittsburgh could opt to have an all-Penn State outside cornerback starting lineup with Porter and King with King likely costing a first or second-round pick.
The Nittany Lions have several other notable names to watch including EDGEs Chop Robinson and Adisa Issac who both have great size and length on the edge as prototypical NFL pass rushers. They also have LB Curtis Jacobs who profiles to be a middle-round pick, possessing decent athleticism and the awareness to flow to the football and make plays. A couple of potential late-round prospects to keep an eye on for Penn State include TE Theo Johnson as well as OL Caeden Wallace and Landon Tengwall.Â
The Hoosiers don’t have nearly as much NFL talent on their roster, but keep an eye on C #55 Caleb Murphy. Murphy appeared in 12 games with two starts last season. He is projected to be the team’s starting center this season. He stands 6-4, 292 pounds and is a fluid mover in space, having good hand placement on his punch and giving great effort in the running game. His size and lack of experience are his biggest knocks, but should he put together a strong campaign, he could see himself becoming a Day Three pick this coming spring.
