Penn State’s offensive line has taken a major hit in turnover, but Taylor Mouser says one transfer is already making the whole group look a lot steadier.
The Nittany Lions entered this season with a rebuilt front after multi-year starter and center Nick Dawkins, guard Olaivavega Ioane, tackle Drew Shelton and tackle Nolan Rucci all moved on to the NFL. New head coach Matt Campbell then added Trevor Buhr, Brock Riker, Vaea Ikakoula and Kuol Kuol II through the transfer portal, leaving Penn State to sort out a group that still needs time to gel.
That process matters even more because there are still younger pieces in the mix, including Malachi Goodman, who hasn’t logged experience but is expected to be an impact player this fall. For Mouser, the competition in camp has been intense, and he said his linemen have "rose to the challenge" to show who wants it most.
So far, though, one name has stood above the rest. Mouser pointed to Buhr as the camp MVP.
"I think just the consistency he plays with," Mouser said of the Iowa State transfer. "He plays a very, very physically demanding position.
(He) ... take(s) pride in how violent and physical (he) can be ... (Buhr) has done a good job of that, and he's consistent in pass pro every rep.
Doesn't lose in pass pro, violent at the point of attack, and we got some really big, stout dudes in there on the defensive line."
Buhr’s résumé backs up that praise. The redshirt junior played in eight games and made six starts in 2025, and he did not allow a sack across 218 pass-blocking snaps. The season before that, he again went through 316 pass-blocking snaps without giving up a sack.
That kind of stability is a big deal for quarterback Rocco Becht, who is going to need more than just his skill players to carry the offense. Becht is not described as a particularly impressive mobile quarterback, which puts even more pressure on the line to hold up as the group gets rebuilt.
Mouser also said the chemistry has come together faster than you might expect for a line with this much turnover. He singled out Buhr and Goodman, noting how encouraging it is to see older and younger players competing at a high level while staying on the same page.
"We haven't had any glaring MA missed assignments, blown assignments. I mean, we've thrown a lot of different wrinkles and schemes and situations at those guys," Mouser said.
Replacing experienced starters is never simple, but Penn State’s early camp work suggests the line is moving in the right direction. If Buhr keeps setting the tone, Mouser may have reason to feel a lot better when Week 1 arrives.
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