The Highs and Lows of Penn State Football Pro Day

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State’s Pro Day on Wednesday was a bit of a different scene than last year’s event. A group of 20 Nittany Lions participated in a plethora of drills and took part in individual measurements, eight more than the 12 who worked out in 2025.

Several Nittany Lions had strong performances, while others hit some low points during the four-hour window at Holuba Hall. Here are some players who stood out, both positively and negatively, as 2026 the NFL Draft approaches.

Quarterback Drew Allar’s throwing drills went as expected

Drew Allar’s workout is finished.

The arm strength was easy to see. Flashed some touch outside the numbers. Had some others that sailed or weren’t placed precisely.

Overall, a solid session.

Not gonna change any minds, but reaffirms what was on tape. pic.twitter.com/n7FWk2IaPw
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) March 18, 2026

Allar put together a solid throwing session in front of a plethora of NFL scouts. The quarterback threw to receivers Kyron Hudson, Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross and Liam Clifford as well as running back Kaytron Allen. The passing drills featured a wide range of routes, including deep posts, Texas routes, out routes and in routes.

The former Penn State starter was sharp on his short and intermediate passes but missed Pena and Ross individually on deep shots. Allar continues to boost his draft stock, which took a hit last year, particularly after he broke his ankle against Northwestern October. He is the fifth-rated quarterback, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., in what is regarded as an underwhelming class.

“My gameplan was just to come out here and just show teams what I can do from a throwing standpoint,” Allar said after his session. “Really, it was just to kind of showcase a lot of different things that I either put on tape or at the next level that you see a lot on Sundays. So a lot of my stuff [I] wanted to [do was] play action from under center, and kind of just layering the ball a little bit and driving the ball at the same time. So I feel really good about everything. And you know, it was great, great being back with all the receivers and Kaytron.”

Safety Zakee Wheatley and offensive lineman Vega Ioane stand out

Penn State defensive back Zakee Wheatley runs a drill during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wheatley, who attended the NFL Scouting Combine in February, participated in every drill but the bench press at Pro Day. And he did so successfully. Wheatley led all his former teammates in the 3-cone drill (6.89 seconds) and pro shuttle (4.11 seconds, tied with Pena) and tested well in the other three events.

Wheatley is the eighth-ranked safety in Kiper’s top-10 positional rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft. His performance on Wednesday was certainly important in boosting his stock.

“I think I did good,” Wheatley said. “... Proud of how I did. I think I was able to showcase my ability, my talent and to be a football player. … [I] just [looked to showcase] my short-area quickness and speed.”

Ioane, Penn State’s lone first-round prospect, also helped his cause. The offensive lineman did not test but went through individual drills and was at the top of his game. The 6-4, 320-pound guard showcased his quick feet and impressive get-off consistently.

Ioane did not have the best performance at the combine in February, testing 33rd in broad jump (8-8) and 19th in vertical jump (31.50). But he looked sharp in front of scouts on Wednesday.

“[It] feels good,” Ioane said of his draft stock. “It's a feeling that I know I put a lot of work into it, knowing that it's all coming together, all connecting things like that. But knowing that I put my best foot forward to put myself in a position like that, it definitely feels good.”

A strong day for the special-teamers

THE MAIN EVENT: GABE NWOSU PUNTING 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/U7lB2aTzzE
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) March 18, 2026

Both Gabe Nwosu and Riley Thompson punted, while long snapper Tyler Duzansky participated in all the testing drills.

Nwosu and Thompson were the second group to participate in Pro Day, with each hitting punts of at least 60 yards. The two also located their punts well through different kinds of testing.

Duzanksy earned consistent praise from his instructor during the long-snapping drills. As for the other drills, Duzansky performed the best in the bench press, putting up 20 reps, which was good for fifth among his teammates.

“The buildup is massive,” Thompson said. “But once you get out there, it's just like being back in football, like we spent so many hours out here, we worked so hard — blood, sweat and tears on this field. I got out there and I was like, ‘Man, this just feels like I'm home again.’ So it was definitely a big buildup for one day. But I mean, you're working as hard as you can to be as good as you can for as long as you can. So it was just another workout that we have to do. And it was nice. It was awesome.”

‘I always feel like I can do better’

Sideline dot from Penn State QB Drew Allar to Kyron Hudson with the nice toe tap. pic.twitter.com/5L3NBdubtH
— Zach Seyko (@zach_seyko) March 18, 2026

Some former Penn State players did not perform to the best of their hopes or abilities.

Center and two-year captain Nick Dawkins was not pleased with how he tested, which included a 5.16 time in the 40. Fellow lineman Nolan Rucci wished his pro shuttle time of 4.87 seconds were “a little bit better.” And Ross said he missed two opportunities while catching passes from Allar, which included a dropped ball.

“I really wish I was able to show more athleticism,” Dawkins said. “Some lingering issues and injuries, [so] I wasn't able to finish out a lot of the change-of-direction stuff, and that’s very disappointing. … You worked hard and took some extra time to work on that stuff. … It is what it is, though, no complaints, no excuses.”

Dawkins said he has some visits scheduled. Rucci, Hudson and Ross all said the combine went about as they expected in terms of how they tested. Hudson, specifically, seemed just happy to be there.

“'I’m always gonna be happy,” Hudson said. “I'm always gonna be blessed. I'm just so blessed to be able to do it. I'm saying people dream of this opportunity to be able to go out here and do it. It's a blessing.”

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