INDIANAPOLIS — In the middle of a jam-packed week at the NFL scouting combine that essentially amounts to the biggest job interview of his life, Olu Fashanu found the time to catch up with an old college buddy.

That former teammate? Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis.

"I talked to Will yesterday," Fashanu said Saturday and readily admits he hasn't seen Levis in person in three years. "It’d be great playing with Will (again). Obviously he was at Penn State my freshman year. He was one of the older guys that really made my transition at Penn State from high school ball a whole lot easier."

Fashanu ranks as the consensus No. 11 prospect and No. 2 offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL Draft, right in range for the tackle-needy Titans to snag Levis' former teammate as a cornerstone blindside protector with the No. 7 pick. The Fashanu-to-the-Titans connection is common in mock drafts; NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has the Titans picking Fashanu, as do his colleagues Dan Parr and Cynthia Frelund.

Fashanu met with the Titans here and said he loved getting to know the coaching staff. To be fair, he said that about plenty of teams. He's hardly a hidden gem only the Titans have noticed. He's a consensus All-America honoree who won the Rimington-Pace Award as the top lineman in the Big Ten in 2023. In 2022, that award went to eventual Titans first-round pick Peter Skoronski. Seven of the last 10 players to win that award ended up being picked in the first round, one of whom being long-time Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan.

The word "upside" is thrown around a lot in regards to Fashanu. He might not be the most polished run blocker yet, but his raw skills as a pass blocker are indisputable. Per Pro Football Focus, Fashanu didn't allow a sack and only allowed one quarterback hit in 681 pass block snaps over the last two seasons. He credits that success to his strength as a "strainer," which he describes as the skill needed to not only thwart a pass rusher's first move but to counter and stymie a rusher's second move as well.

"In terms of the way that I counter high-energy guys, that has a lot to do with my grip strength," said Fashanu. "Once I get my hands on a D-lineman, I understand that the play’s not over. I’ve got to keep straining. I’ve got to keep showing a lot of effort. The play isn’t over until that ball is in the air."

Fashanu's main competition to be the first offensive lineman drafted is Notre Dame's Joe Alt, another consensus All-American who barely allowed any quarterback pressures over the last two seasons. Fashanu says he's gotten to know Alt a little in the draft process and thinks they're similar players in how they use their length (Fashanu is 6-foot-6 and Alt is 6-8).

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But ultimately Fashanu isn't too concerned with the idea of being the first tackle picked in April's draft.

"For me, obviously it’d be very nice," Fashanu said. "But at the end of the day I’m just blessed to be in this position."

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Olu Fashanu is reconnecting with Titans QB Will Levis before NFL Draft