Nearly two months ago on December 30, 2025, Anthony Donkoh announced he was sticking with Penn State. New head coach Matt Campbell eased his decision saying he has a real “chance to be one of the absolute best players in our football program.” That belief fueled his confidence as the 21-game starter with position flexibility warned his opponents that he hadn’t even scratched the surface.

“There’s a lot of meat left on the bone for me,” Anthony Donkoh said Saturday at the THON Explorers Program. “I’ve not even reached my full potential. That’s really exciting, especially when the new staff coming in and talking to these guys, and these guys are great people. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I stayed. I love these guys.”

Judging from his words, 2026 is going to be an all-in season after Anthony Donkoh’s inconsistent roles. The 6’5, 320-pound junior redshirted in 2023, playing mostly at guard on the practice field. Then came the late-season position change that moved him to right tackle. He stepped in for the entire second half of the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss and held up.

In 2024, Anthony Donkoh owned the right tackle job for 10 starts before a November injury ended his season. Nolan Rucci stepped in and kept that job heading into 2025. But back healthy in 2025, he shifted to right guard starting the first four games there, then battled more injury issues and gave up snaps to TJ Shanahan. But he didn’t disappear. 

Anthony Donkoh returned in Game 7 at Iowa, later started at right tackle against Ohio State, and finished the year bouncing between guard and tackle. He also played right tackle in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson after Rucci opted out. According to Pro Football Focus, he logged 482 snaps at right guard and 195 at right tackle in 2025. Over the last two seasons, he’s made 21 starts and that experience is valuable.

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Donkoh’s former OL coach Phil Trautwein believed guard was his highest ceiling. But Donkoh didn’t quite see it that way.

“Personally, I love playing tackle,” he said. “Tackle is fun because I’m able to just play the way I want to play… At the end of the day, I was going to play whatever position that I needed to play, and I was going to play at a high level. But, for me to be myself and play the way I want to play, tackle is the best position for me.”

And now, we’re getting to the heart of it as Donkoh sees alignment with new OL coach Ryan Clanton. The coach emphasizes using your full body and maximizing strengths and that philosophy resonated immediately for Anthony Donkoh. He said it made him “very excited” to have conversations with the new staff. 

“I have full confidence in Coach Campbell, Coach Clanton and the rest of the staff,” he said. “I believe they will help restore Penn State’s tradition of excellence while continuing to support my growth to be the man that God has called me to be!!!”

That confidence came after serious conversations about his future.

How Matt Campbell reassured Anthony Donkoh

This offseason forced tough decisions across the roster. Plenty of players tested the portal now that James Franklin was gone. Matt Campbell needed to show quickly who mattered in his vision and Anthony Donkoh was a priority. 

“They made me a priority,” Anthony Donkoh revealed on Lions247. “I can see where what they have planned for us is going to take us, and where their plan for me is going to take me… These guys are great people, great humans. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I stayed.”

Just see what Matt Campbell has to say about the player himself. 

“You want to talk about who’s the leader, he’s the leader,” he said. “One of the best players here, has got a chance to be one of the absolute best players in our football program.”

Ryan Clanton echoed that sentiment.

“Obviously his football traits are off the charts,” he said. “But there’s still a lot of stuff that we have to do to make him elite, rather than just a really good college player.”

Anthony Donkoh arrived as a 4-star in the Class of 2023 ranked No. 415 overall, No. 29 IOL, and No. 9 out of Virginia per 247Sports Composite. The recruiting profile said upside and now he’s entering his redshirt junior year as Penn State’s most experienced offensive player. So yes, 134 FBS programs should take note because when a veteran lineman publicly says he’s not done improving, that’s a foundation piece coming into his own.