Penn State loses projected 1st round pick Vega Ioane to the NFL Draft

The offseason has begun for the Penn State Nittany Lions as they still have the Pinstripe Bowl coming up, but with the coaching change, the offseason is the biggest focus. Matt Campbell will inherit a ton of talent, but he'll need to retain some of his biggest piece keeping them from either the NFL Draft or the Transfer Portal.

Coming into the season, Penn State had several projected 1st Round Picks, but as most of the team underwhelmed, Matt Campbell may have a chance to retain several key pieces for his first season at the helm in State College.

Penn State loses Vega Ioane to the NFL Draft

While Matt Campbell will have a chance to retain some of the Nittany Lions' biggest stars, he never had a chance at retaining offensive lineman Vega Ioane. On Friday, the Penn State star announced that he'll be entering his name into the NFL Draft where he's projected to be taken in the first round.

Ioane has been a staple of Penn State's offensive line from the moment he landed on campus, making it a massive, but expected, big blow for this unit. As a Redshirt Freshman, Ioane started 5 games, and has started at guard for the rest of his tenure. Over the last two seasons, Ioane hasn't allowed a sack, making him one of the top offensive linemen in this year's draft class.

In our latest mock draft, Vega Ioane was projected to be the 22nd overall pick to the Los Angeles Chargers as the 1st interior offensive lineman off the board.

Penn State has become one of the top schools at developing elite talent in the past several draft classes, and Vega Ioane will look to continue the Nittany Lions streak as they've produced 1st round picks in back-to-back classes.