Penn State hashigh expectations for the 2024 college football seasonfollowing another 10-win regular seasoncampaign last fall. The Nittany Lions areprojected as a fringe top-10 team in earlynational preseason rankings, withBig Ten championship aspirationsanda debut College Football Playoff appearancein focus.
PSU opens its 2024 game scheduleAug. 31 at West Virginiaina rematch of the Nittany Lions' 2023 opener win. In the meantime, our Countdown to Kickoff series will feature players whose uniform numbers correspond with that number of days remaining until that matchup.Now at64days, we focus on freshman Nittany Lions lineman Eagan Boyer.
THE BASICS
Position:Offensivetackle
Class:Freshman
Size: 6-8, 273 pounds
High School:Hough (Cornelius, N.C.)
COLLEGE OFFERS AND247Sports EVALUATION
247Sports Ranking: No. 48 offensive tackle; No. 18 in North Carolina
IndustryComposite Ranking: No. 578 overall; No. 45 offensive tackle; No. 18 in NC
Additional Power Five Offers: Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin
CoachPerspective (via Hough head coach DeShawn Baker)
"Eagan is a big, long guy and is very passionate about the position. He's real solid at the position at the point of contact. He's really, really good with his hands and his feet and can run really well. I think the thing that sets Eagan apart and that's going to help him grow and to be a good player at Penn State is his ability to learn and willingness to learn. He wants to get stronger. Like I said before, he's fast, he strikes and he's violent at the point of contact and he plays until the whistle is blown."
Goals Beyond Football
"I am going to go into mechanical engineering," Boyer told 247Sports. "I always dreamt of working in NASCAR motor sports. I am going to take that degree and I am going to try and go to NASCAR motor sports because I know they have a great engineering program. It's a great school."
Thoughts on His Position Coach(Phil Trautwein)
"He's going to get what he wants out of his guys, and he's going to make sure they are doing it to perfection. That's one thing I want. Some coaches are lackadaisical, and they don't get the most out of their guys. He's getting the most out of his guys. I'd like to be a part of a program like that."
Path to Penn State
Trautweinis always on the hunt for athletic tackles with moldable frames and Boyer fits that profile perfectly. Penn State zoned in on Boyer as a target with an offer in early January 2023 and he went on to travel to State College multiple times thereafter.
As last spring rolled around, Happy Valley started to feel more and more like home to the North Carolina native. He pulled the trigger on a commitmentApril 25.
"Ever since I got up there, I fell in love with the town," Boyer told 247Sports. "Their coaching style is amazing. They push you as hard as they can."
Trautwein recently told Lions247 that Boyer enrolled on campus in January 2024 with 238 pounds on his 6-foot-8 frame. Boyer's buy-in to Penn State's acclaimed strength program was a key aspect of his commitment.
"I know they are going to develop me the best that they can," he said. "Some colleges told me they would get me to 350 (pounds). They will get me to 315, which might be my body's limit."
2024 OUTLOOK
Involvement in a high-level strength program is already paying off for Boyer, who has packed on more than 30 pounds to reach 273. When asked if he's dealt with freshmen linemen who showed up as thin as Boyer, Trautwein recalled that former Boston College star Chris Lindstrom enrolled at approximately233 pounds. Lindstrom went on to become a first-round NFL draft pick and All-Pro.
Although the Nittany Lions lost a pair of starting offensive tackles to the NFL this offseason, there is quality competition and depth in place as preseason camp nears. Junior Drew Sheltonand redshirt freshmanJ'ven Williamsare the primary contenders at left tackle, while redshirt freshmanAnthony Donkohand redshirt junior Wisconsin transferNolan Rucciwill continue to battle on the right side. Redshirt freshman Chimdy Onoh is another second-year tackle aiming to make positive moves in August.
The realisticoutlookfor Boyer in 2024 is a reserve role, with scout-teamsnaps likely ahead of him this autumn as he continues to add mass. If he ends up on the Nittany Lions' initial travel roster for West Virginia, it would be a strong sign of Year 1 strides. If he doesn't, therewill still be opportunities to earn a spot later in the season.
Regardless, Boyer projects as a particularly compelling lineman come next spring ball, when he'll have a full year of college strength work under his belt. Considering his early gains, we could see him hit the field at 300-plus pounds come 2025.
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Previous Numbers
65 - Miles Dieffenbach66 - Drew Shelton
67 -Kareem McKenzie68 - Anthony Donkoh
69 -Floyd Wedderburn70 - Garrett Sexton
71 - Vega Ioane
72 - Nolan Rucci
73 - Caleb Brewer74 - J'ven Williams
75 - Eric Shrive
76 - Steve Smear
77 - Sal Wormley
78 - Mike Munchak79 - Addison Penn
80 - Mehki Flowers
81 - Kyle Brady
82 - Kenny Jackson83 - Joe Jurevicius84 - Peter Gonzalez85 - Luke Reynolds86 - Brenton Stange
87 - Andrew Rappleyea88 -Jerry Cross89 -Dave Robinson90 -Liam Andrews91 -Dvon Ellies and Chase Meyer92 -Smith Vilbert93 -Sander Sahaydak94 -Ryan Barker and De'Andre Cook95 -Jordan Mayer and Riley Thompson96 -Immanuel Iyke97 -T.A. Cunningham98 -Jordan Stout99 -Coziah Izzard100-Meet the Penn State transfer class
