Ryan Bates made his first career start in the season opener of his redshirt freshman season if 2016. This started a three-year stretch of Bates being the team’s best offensive lineman.
During Bates time on campus the Nittany Lions played 40 games. He appeared in 37 of them with 35 starts. The only games he missed came in 2017 after he injured his ankle against Ohio State. An injury that, in my opinion, cost the Nittany Lions victory that day and in turn a College Football Playoff berth in 2017. But I digress.
His performance as a redshirt freshman earned Bates Freshman All-American honors with both USA Today and the Football Writers Association of America.