Jven Williams ‘convinced’ he’ll be on the field for Nittany Lions this season

By Seth Engle — MikeDragoSports.com Penn State correspondent

UNIVERSITY PARK — Jven Williams lunged toward his teammate, pushing forward with a right arm tattooed with Berks County’s 6-1-0 area code across the bicep.

In line to earn an increased role on Penn State’s offensive line as his second spring practice nears a
close, Williams’ hometown of Reading remains at the forefront of his story.

It’s only been a year since Williams departed Wyomissing for the Nittany Lions, but those who
helped in the development of Pennsylvania’s top recruit have seen a complete shift in his
maturity as he competes for a starting role heading into Saturday’s Blue-White Game.

“He’s convinced in his mind, one way or another, he’s getting on that field,” Wyomissing offensive line coach Steven O’Neil said. “Maybe not starting, but he’s convinced he’s getting on that field, and not just mop-up duty. He’s very motivated.”

Williams entered his freshman season with high expectations but appeared in just three games at left tackle as he reamined in the shadow of projected first-round NFL draft pick Olu
Fashanu.

With Fashanu’s position now vacant, Williams has the potential to see significant
snaps in his place, especially with projected starter Drew Shelton injured and missing spring practice.

Over the course of the offseason Williams has worked with strength and conditioning coach
Chuck Losey to prepare his body for the wear and tear of a complete season in the Big 10. Standing 6-5 and inching closer to 310 pounds, Williams has Losey and anticipating good things this fall.
“He’s gonna be a monster out there,” Losey said.

Taking over for Fashanu will not be an easy feat but Williams should be prepared for that sort of transition due to his tight-knit connection with the consensus All-American over the course of the last year.

At his Pro Day in March, Fashanu jokingly described his relationship with Williams as a “Q & A.”
Williams would pick Fashanu’s brain on every road trip, asking all about his process. The two
shared a hotel room in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.

After a year learning from one of the nation’s best, Williams has sensed a shift in his abilities.

“I think I’ve improved a lot mentally, just knowing the game, knowing the scheme, knowing what
I have to do on every play, and definitely physically,” Williams said.

Williams is young for his class; he won’t turn 19 until August. O’Neil has seen him mature during his first year on campus, no doubt influenced by Fashanu.

“He’s grown a lot,” O’Neil said. “And I’m not talking about size, but he’s matured. He was young (in high school). He only turned 17 going into his senior year at the end of August. So he’s still a pup but he sounds way more mature and way more ready to be on the college field.”

Williams went to two state championship games with Wyomissing, started in a pair of District 3 title games and was part of a senior class that finished 49-4.

The two-time All-State pick had a long list of accolades that included Outstanding Lineman in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and MikeDragoSports.com Offensive Lineman of the Year as both a junior and senior.

He was a PIAA champion in both the shot put and discus as a junior (by enrolling early at Penn State he passed up his senior track and field season).

O’Neil said he doesn’t want to think too far ahead about Williams’ NFL future but Wyomissing
coach Bob Wolfrum is excited by the prospect of adding another mural to the hallway outside the Spartans’ lockerroom.

The walls are currently adorned with paintings of former Princeton offensive lineman Ross Tucker, former Florida linebacker Alex Anzalone and former Pittsburgh quarterback Matt Lytle, each of whom played in the NFL.

“If he does make it, it’ll be our fourth kid,” Wolfrum said of Spartans reaching the NFL. “The art department did murals of all three of them. It would be neat to put another one up there. It’s always good when you get somebody through that kind of level and he’s from your school.”

Before thinking about the NFL Williams will have to get through summer and fall camps, defining
himself in offensive line room boasting three other second-year players and a touted
transfer, ex-Wisconsin Badger Nolan Rucci, who played at Warwick.

Williams may be competing directly with Rucci, who said he’s taken snaps at both right and left
tackle this spring. The two have built a special bond already, in part due to their connection
with Tucker, a seven-year NFL vet who helped each with their high school recruitment.

With Tucker’s help, both became five-star recruits and graduated high school as the top
recruit in Pennsylvania.

Tucker may be rooting for both but he’d love to see Williams represent Wyomissing and win
some positional competitions this offseason.

“It would just be great to see that he’s been able to overcome the adversity — because you’re
always gonna have adversity when you get to that level — to be able to get a job,” Tucker said. “I know he’s got the ability and I’m confident it’s gonna work out for him.”

Williams has primarily taken snaps at left tackle since arriving on campus but has the positional flexibility to play any spot on the line. He learned both tackle positions, both guard spots and center in just a few weeks at Wyomissing.

The biggest concern about Williams entering Penn State was his ability to pass block. Wyomissing
runs the Wing-T offense, prioritizing the run and short passing plays. Williams did little traditional pass-blocking with the Spartans. His development there could be the defining factor in his 2024 snap count.

Williams believes his best is yet to come.

“There’s so much stuff to the pass set and your kick and stuff like that really isn’t talked about as
much,” he said, “just small things, like, you can always get better grip strength, you can always get a
better punch and I don’t have those things yet. I think it’s definitely on the way but I think as far as my footwork and stuff like that, it’s all there.”

Williams is hoping he can make the most of his opportunity and represent his community. He keeps his hometown area code on his right bicep to remind him where he came from.

“When you’re walking in Wyomissing, you’re either seeing an Eagles flag or a Penn State flag,” he said, “so having that support behind me, it’s a big deal.”