Going into the 2024 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player’s background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Olaivavega Ioane was a surprise contributor as a redshirt freshman, playing nearly 700 snaps primarily at left guard in 2023. He played well enough to potentially enter the 2024 season as a starter at one of the guard spots, but his youth compared to the other starting options may be the deciding factor. Regardless of whether his role is as the primary starter or rotational lineman, Ioane should make an impact for Penn State in 2024.
Preseason Player Profile
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Hometown: Graham, WA
Height: 6-4
Weight: 342 lb
Class in 2024: Redshirt Junior
Recruiting Rankings
Class of 2022: Consensus 3-star recruit, no. 18 IOL (247Sports)
Olaivavega Ioane was a quality recruit in the 2022 class, ranking as one of the top 10 players in the state of Washington and a top-20 player at guard in the class according to 247Sports. He was recruited by nearly every Pac-12 school at the time, including his hometown Washington Huskies. He initially chose to commit to Washington in June 2021 but de-committed in December. Penn State swooped in shortly after, with Ioane picking the Nittany Lions in February 2022.
Career Stats
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Olaivavega Ioane was forced into action as a redshirt freshman, logging 670 snaps in 2023 at both left and right guard. That experience at a young age is huge for his development, and he even held up well despite his age. With the depth Penn State has along the offensive line, Ioane could see his snap count diminish in 2024, but it isn’t an indictment of his ability. He has…
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