Offensive lineman Olaivavega (Vega) Ioane was listed on the Penn State football injury report, as posted by the Big Ten two hours before kickoff, ahead of Saturday's game against Iowa.
Ioane has yet to miss a game for the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten), playing in all six games. Though the offensive line as a whole has been inconsistent, a pattern very familiar to the rest of the team, Ioane is a reliable, consistent body at the line of scrimmage.
Alongside left tackle Drew Shelton, center Nick Dawkins, and offensive lineman TJ Shanahan, Ioane was one of four players who logged the highest number of snaps at 51 against Northwestern. Offensive linemen Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh shared almost an even number of snaps with 30 and 25, respectively. Donkoh was previously questionable at points throughout the season, but will be available against the Hawkeyes on Saturday night.
There are two options to takeover that crucial starting role. Donkoh is one and Cooper Cousins is another. Cousins appeared in all 16 games in 2024 on offense and special teams. For Penn State so far in 2025, he saw action in five of six games.
No matter who steps in as a starter, losing Ioane is a huge blow for the Nittany Lions. Backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is playing his first game as a starter in college football with quarterback Drew Allar out for the season. An already-inconsistent offensive line is already difficult to navigate having to lead the offense for the first time in his collegiate career, and not having one of the top players on the line makes that even harder.
Information regarding Ioane's injury and lack of availability has not been released. He joins defensive end Jaylen Harvey as new faces to the injury report. The redshirt freshman made five appearances in 2024 as a true freshman and played in all six games in 2025 so far. He logged five tackles and 0.5 tackle for loss over the first half of the season.
The tackle, who made the preseason watch list for the Lombardi Award, was recently transferred over to the midseason watch list as well. He is also a candidate for the Outland Trophy and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.