Olaivavega Ioane Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Paul Burdick/Statecollege.com)

School: Penn State

Class: Redshirt Junior

Position: IOL

HT: 6’4

WT: 330 lbs

Background: Olaivavega Ioane was a consensus 3-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class. Ioane went to Graham-Kapowskin High School in Graham, Washington, where he was a top 30 interior offensive lineman. His team went undefeated on the way to a state title as a senior. That year he was also named a MaxPreps Second Team All-American. Vega Ioane committed to Penn State over Washington, Minnesota, and others.

College: Ioane redshirted in 2022 before taking over as a starter on the interior of the Nittany Lions’ offensive line. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Ioane was named an All-Big 10 honorable mention by the media. He also earned All-Academic Big 10 honors. Ioane earned All-Academic Big 10 honors again in 2024. He started every game in ‘24 at left guard and he was selected to the All-Big 10 Second Team. Ioane repeated his performance in 2025 by starting 11 games at guard and, once again, being named an All-Big 10 Second Team selection.

Strengths: Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane is an elite pass protector on the interior. He simply does not allow pressure to get through. His anchor cements his feet to the grass and absorbs all power rushes from defenders. Not only does he have a strong lower half, but he has strong arms and hands to get under the pads of defenders and latch on to halt any forward momentum. His size is noticeable as he looks like a brick wall on the interior. He is hard to move through or around. He diagnoses stunts and twists well at the line of scrimmage. He works well to either side of him to hand off assignments and take on new ones. He is technically sound, winning with strong hands and sharp footwork.

Weaknesses: Vega does not move well in the run game. When he gets in open space, he does not find landmarks consistently. He is not a fast mover, which may not come as a surprise, given his dense frame. He cannot pull across the line to seal edges like some of the more athletic guards.

Conclusion: Vega Ioane is a mountain of an offensive guard. He is a brick wall who is not easy to work through. He lacks the athleticism to move in open space, but he is an elite pass protector. He will be looked at as a Day 1 difference maker.

Best Team Fits: NE, CAR, MIA

Player Comparison: Tyler Booker

Player Grade: Round 1 (91.1)