Penn State Football: 2023 Position Battle at Right Tackle

One of the many position battles for the Penn State football team in 2023 comes at the right tackle position. This is truly a first-world problem to have especially at Penn State. I can’t remember the last time when the Nittany Lions had four legitimate starting offensive tackles on their roster.

In 2023, it will come down to these two players either redshirt senior Caedan Wallace or sophomore Drew Shelton for the job at right tackle. An important nugget of information to remember as we inch closer to the fall is that Wallace has changed his number from 79 to 73 for his final season at Penn State.

Caedan Wallace has played a lot of ball at PSU. He was the full-time starter at right tackle for the 2021 Nittany Lions making an appearance in all 13 games that season. Last year he appeared in 8 games making 7 starts. After an apparent injury Wallace was replaced by true freshman Drew Shelton and in my opinion Shelton outplayed Wallace during the 2022 season.

Drew Shelton joined the Penn State football team as a 4-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class that might go down as one of the most impactful classes in program history. The way Shelton’s freshman season played out was honestly perfect. He was able to get on campus and adjust to college life and division one football. He was also able to be present on the sidelines, learn behind the veterans on the team, and watch from the bench to start the season, instead of being thrown into the fire from week one.

Wallace has had his ups and downs during his time at Penn State. Many people believe that he is better suited as an interior offensive lineman, but he has shown a lot of promise, especially with his run blocking. The issues for him have been in pass protection throughout his career. On the other hand, Shelton has yet to have a bad game in a Penn State uniform so of course he is viewed as the right man for the job.

Regardless of who wins the position, the depth at offensive tackle is great this season. You also can’t forget 5-star freshman J’ven Williams who will also be in the mix for playing time as his career progresses.

Caedan Wallace vs Drew Shelton, may the best tackle win in fall camp.