2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 53 Nick Dawkins
Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Today is a look at Nick Dawkins, the son of Daryl Dawkins, a former NBA standout for the Philadelphia 76ers and the cousin of one of the NFL’s best all-time safeties, Brian Dawkins, and NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns. It is safe to say Dawkins carries some good genes with him as he prepares to be a part of a solid offensive line unit for Penn State this upcoming season.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Height: 6-4
Weight: 321
247Sports Composite Ranking
Career Stats
Penn State’s adjusted 2020 season saw Nick Dawkins stay on the sidelines for the entire nine-game season, but he made an impression in practices as the coaching staff’s developmental player of the year on offense, earning developmental player of the week honors three times during the season, including the final two weeks of the season.
This led to some playing time on special teams in 2021 with 11 appearances, mostly on special teams. Due to injury concerns, Dawkins appeared in just two games for the Nittany Lions in 2022, allowing him to preserve a redshirt season.
Depth Chart Overview
Penn State has Nick Dawkins as a center heading into the 2023 season, but he will be the team’s top backup center to start the season. The return of Hunter Nourzad gives Penn State its starting center for the offensive line, which could be among the best James Franklin has had to work with since his arrival at State College.
Nourzad was a transfer addition to the program last year but he, like Dawkins, battled some injury issues at times last season. But the return of a healthy Nourzad is promising for Penn State, and having Dawkins fully healthy provides some assurance with the depth at the position. This will be the final season for Nourzad, however, which means Dawkins could be lining up a potential starting job in 2024 if he returns for another season.
