What’s the loss of Donovan Smith mean for Penn State's offensive line?

James Franklin said time and time again this season that the offensive line needed more time to work together, a luxury the unit rarely had because of injuries and inexperience.

Take away the most experienced and largest member of the offensive line – the man protecting quarterback Christian Hackenberg’s blindside – and the loss of left tackle Donovan Smith to the NFL Draft will take a toll. Franklin spoke about the need to scholarship offensive linemen in every class and by making a late push and landing Lackawanna College offensive tackle Paris Palmer earlier this month the team helped itself fill a need that becomes more pressing due to Smith’s decision to forgo his senior season.

Maybe Penn State knew Smith was on the fence about returning, maybe not. Where he projects after an up-and-down season and one where the line as a whole contributed to Hackenberg absorbing 44 sacks will be sorted out in the coming months. What Penn State does to make up for the loss is already in the works. 

Smith missed two games this season after getting hurt against Ohio State. The Lions shifted redshirt freshman Andrew Nelson from right tackle to left tackle to fill in during Smith’s absence. With the addition of Palmer, who played two years at Lackawanna and who was ranked as the nation’s top junior college offensive tackle, one will have to contribute at right tackle and the other at left. Palmer arrives on campus in January and Nelson started 13 games this season.

Franklin’s guideline for an offensive lineman to see the field requires proper time for them to develop both physically and mentally. Usually as a redshirt sophomore the linemen are ready to take on key roles, which is something Franklin discussed throughout the season. 

“To think you’re going to be able to come in as a true freshman in the Big Ten on the offensive line [and play] is challenging,” Franklin said when asked about Palmer last week. “We were fortunate we were able to go find a guy who was not only a No. 1 junior college offensive tackle in the country, but who also had the other makeup that’s important to us as well.

“That hopefully will buy us some time to allow these young guys to continue to develop because typically you shouldn’t play in a big-time program on the offensive line until your redshirt sophomore year.”

Penn State’s other scholarship offensive tackles include Chasz Wright, Chance Sorrell and Brendan Brosnan, all true freshmen who redshirted this season.

“To me, the ideal [offensive] lineman for us would be someone who's 6-5, 6-6, 270 pounds, plays high school basketball and is really athletic,” Franklin said in July at Big Ten Media Days.

“Then we get him with our [strength] guys, let him marinate for a year, and now you got a guy who's 300 pounds but lean and athletic.”

Penn State returns three starters along the line, with center Angelo Mangiro, guard Brian Gaia and Nelson. Derek Dowrey, Wendy Laurent and Brendan Mahon – all scholarship linemen – combined to start 13 games this season. 

Palmer and Sterling Jenkins, an incoming freshman who is a work in progress, arrive in January.