Lingering Questions on the Offensive Line

STATE COLLEGE | Over a decade ago, new Penn State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton was a team captain of an Oregon squad that won the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. The victory capped his three seasons with the Ducks, who went 36-4 during Clanton’s career.

Now, Clanton is preparing his first offensive line with the Nittany Lions ahead of the 2026 season. Left guard Trevor Buhr said Clanton uses those experiences he learned at Oregon to teach Penn State’s linemen, which they further described Wednesday following the team’s first practice in full pads.  

Here’s how Clanton views the Nittany Lions’ offensive line through its first week of training camp.

Which offensive linemen can play?

First day in full pads😤🔋 pic.twitter.com/0Gbs96pswv

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 12, 2026

As Penn State prepares for its Sept. 5 opener against Marshall, Clanton said the team has eight linemen who can be trusted to play “for sure.” He thinks that number could “realistically” grow to 10 linemen as a “best bet.”

“In this program with coach [Matt] Campbell, the biggest thing is to become trusted, and for those extra two guys to become trusted, you got to really prove it,” Clanton said. “A couple of those guys are doing a good job.”

The Nittany Lions have three linemen considered locks to start: right tackle Anthony Donkoh, right guard Cooper Cousins and Buhr. There’s a position battle at center between Brock Riker and Dominic Rulli in addition to left guard with Malachi Goodman, Garrett Sexton and Owen Aliciene.

Clanton also mentioned redshirt freshmen Will Tompkins and Vaea Ikakoula as “trusted” linemen. They both transferred from Iowa State, and Tompkins’ work ethic has caught Clanton’s attention in his development.

“Will grew up fighting, like literally fighting,” Clanton said. “His dad’s a professional fighter, so I think that guy’s mentality, like how he attacks practice, if I told Will today at practice, ‘You’re taking every rep.’ He would be like, ‘Yes sir, no problem.’ That’s kind of what makes him special.”

Once the season starts, Clanton said he’s looking for four to six different combinations of linemen in a game. He thinks Penn State has four right now and looks for how well linemen play next to each other.

Starting center job is tight race

Make every rep count 🔨 pic.twitter.com/ECx5wfTyDs

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 12, 2026

With Riker and Rulli battling for the starting center job, Clanton said he’s seeking more than just talent when deciding who will start. He’s also assessing how both can be the lead communicator on offense.

Riker and Rulli are still in “a pretty tight race” to be the starting center, according to Clanton. Riker, a transfer from Texas State, was a second-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic last season, so he could have the most potential at the position.

But Riker is still making a jump in competition to the Big Ten, and Clanton said Riker made it a priority to improve his communication skills this offseason. Clanton said he had Riker practice calling plays in a hotel bathroom mirror.

“Go through the script, start yelling,” Clanton said. “You might sound crazy, but you gotta practice. … Brock is a phenomenal talent. His communication skills, he’s gaining confidence really in his ability in the offense. He’s still got a lot of stuff to clean up, too.”

Rulli, who’s entering his fifth season with Penn State, would provide a veteran presence on the offensive line. He played in all 13 games last year, including starting at center during the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.

Left tackle isn’t solidified

Goodman is considered the frontrunner for the starting left tackle job. Campbell has praised the redshirt freshman but wants him to continue his development in training camp. Clanton explained what Goodman is working on in practice.

“The biggest thing with him is power and athleticism at the same time,” Clanton said. “We’ve really been working on him to really uncoil to run through defenders, not to defenders. But I think he’s been doing a great job. He’s not a guy that you want to stand in front of in blocking drills.”

Goodman, a former 5-star recruit, is going into his second season after not playing last year. Campbell wants to see more consistency from him, as Sexton and Aliciene are pushing to start as well. 

Clanton said Sexton and Aliciene are both “doing a great job” and are “trusted” to play. Sexton is in his third year with the program, and Clanton is impressed by his wingspan, which he thinks is over seven feet.

“The confidence and the violence of the hands, he’s using that to his advantage,” Clanton said. “Today, he did a phenomenal job with that.”

This is one of the more important position battles on offense, as whoever wins it will protect quarterback Rocco Becht’s blind side. Goodman has the talent to be the starter but will have to earn it over Sexton and Aliciene.

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