Trevor Buhr steps into massive shoes, a proven talent ready to anchor Penn State's line after a star's departure.
The Penn State Nittany Lions had arguably the best offensive line talent taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Offensive guard Vega Ioane was taken after a couple of offensive tackles (that position holds more value in the league than interior offensive line) at the No. 14 spot with the Baltimore Ravens.
It was a good landing spot for Ioane. The Ravens need to boost the interior offensive line after loosing center Tyler Linerbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency this offseason.
New head coach Matt Campbell would have had a much easier time in 2026 with Ioane on the roster. However, his staff will try to develop the next Ioane this season.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN thinks Trevor Buhr is the most likely replacement for Ioane in 2026 for Penn State. Buhr transferred from Iowa State.
"Ioane might have been the most consistent performer on Penn State's offense the past two seasons, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 and first-team honors last fall, when he also received All-America recognition," Rittenberg wrote. "According to Pro Football Focus, he didn't allow a sack in 28 consecutive starts and allowed no sacks or hits in 311 pass-blocking snaps last season.
"New coach Matt Campbell is familiar with Ioane's likely replacement in Trevor Buhr, who started games the past two seasons for Campbell at Iowa State and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last fall. Penn State also will lean on third-year guard Cooper Cousins, who started two games in 2025."
Penn State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton had high praise for Buhr last year, saying he processes the game much faster.
"The game has slowed down to him a lot," Clanton said, via 247Sports.
"And that's really when you know you turn the corner from being a young player that has the potential to a young player with an extreme amount of talent, it's really slowed down for him."
The Nittany Lions are going to need their patchwork offensive line to come together this summer if they want to make a push for the College Football Playoff. Buhr has big shoes to fill, but he has the talent to compete in the Big Ten.