Olu Fashanu was solely a basketball player until he reached high school.
But during his freshman year of high school, Fashanu started as a defensive lineman before moving to the offensive line as a sophomore.
What led to Fashanu changing sports?
“The first thing that I liked about football was it actually rewarded physicality,” Fashanu said. “In basketball all my life, you got penalized for that.
“Growing up playing basketball, I was a bigger kid, taller on the chubbier side. I was just the prototypical center and not really that useful on offense. I was just used on defense.
“I would use up all my fouls. With football, it rewards physicality, it rewards toughness. For me, it was a no-brainer to switch over. I moved over to offensive line my sophomore year.”
Fashanu made the right decision and achieved his dream of playing in the NFL after the Jets selected him 11th overall on Thursday night.
Fashanu’s football journey began at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where he played alongside 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, whom the Bears selected. Football was not an option for Fashanu growing up, but he decided to give it a try while he prepared for basketball season in the winter. During his first practice, Fashanu found his passion for football.
After registering 52 pancake blocks as a senior in high school, Fashanu committed to Penn State, where he would become one of the best tackles in the nation. He didn’t play much during his freshman and sophomore seasons but received his first career start during the 2022 Outback Bowl against Arkansas and did not look back.
Fashanu started the previous two seasons at left tackle at Penn State and did not allow a single sack during his 663 pass-blocking snaps. Following the 2023 season, Fashanu was named an All-American by the Associated Press, AFCA, Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
“I think the biggest thing that Penn State helped me with that’s going to transition well to this team is my competitiveness,” Fashanu said. “I’m a very competitive person.
“At Penn State, it’s a competitive environment where all the guys on the team try to outdo each other but for the betterment of the team. For me, that’s always my mindset. Every day, I’m going to come into the building and I’m going to compete with myself and everyone around me. And I know I’m going to get everyone better by doing that.”
While some players were in Detroit for the draft, Fashanu was at home with his family and friends when the Jets called him and told the 21-year-old they were selecting him 11th overall.
On Friday, Fashanu flew to New Jersey and visited the Jets facility for the first time.
“It is pretty hard to describe,” Fashanu said about the last 24 hours. “It is everything I imagined it to be. I’ve worked so hard for this moment.
“For it to finally come true, it means everything to me. To be able to spend that night with my family and friends and the people who supported me throughout this entire journey. For me, sitting down on my couch and seeing that New Jersey number, it was just a whirlwind.”
The Jets are banking on Fashanu to become their future franchise left tackle. This season, the plan is for Fashanu to sit and learn behind Tyron Smith, one of this generation’s best-left tackles.
Fashanu grew up idolizing Smith, dating back to when he was in high school. Gang Green signed Smith in March to a one-year contract that could be worth up to $20 million.
“With Tyron, I think the biggest thing, and the reason why I watched him so much was because we have similar builds,” Fashanu said. “We are both taller, leaner, have long arms.
“Just watching how proficient he is and the way that he moves. Everything that he does has intent with it. The way that he uses his hands, the way that he runs off the ball. As a tackle, he is the standard.”
The Jets hope Smith will start every game next season. But considering their offensive luck the last two seasons, Fashanu could play sooner than expected.
The Jets used 14 different combinations in 17 games last season. Smith himself hasn’t played an entire season since 2015.
Although the Jets see him as a left tackle, Fashanu says he is willing to play anywhere on the offensive line for the betterment of the team.
“At the end of the day, I want to win,” Fashanu said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to help this team win.
“It is not up to me where I play. But I know wherever they put me, I’m going to make the most out of it.”
The offensive line was a greater focus this offseason after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into his Jets debut last September. Along with Smith and Fashanu, the Jets acquired left guard John Simpson and right tackle Morgan Moses this offseason.
Rodgers is a fan of the Jets drafting Fashanu and of the team giving him an extra layer of protection on the offensive line.
“We already made three moves in the offseason with bringing John to play guard, Morgan to play tackle and Tyron to play tackle as well, so it wasn’t necessarily at the top of the needs,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. “But I know they really loved Olu.
“I love what Joe [Douglas] did, moving back and getting a couple more picks.”
