Penn State Sending Big Contingent to NFL Combine
Penn State and Michigan each have eight players invited to the 2022 NFL Combine, tied for the most in the Big Ten. That's quite a statement for the Lions, who went 7-6 while Michigan won the Big Ten title and reached the College Football Playoff.
The NFL on Wednesday released the list of 324 players invited to the combine, scheduled for March 1-7 in Indianapolis. Penn State and Michigan tied for sixth-most nationally, with Arizona State and Cincinnati.
Here are Penn State's eight combine representatives:
- Safety Jaquan Brisker
- Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields
- Receiver Jahan Dotson
- Defensive end Arnold Ebiketie
- Defensive end Jesse Luketa
- Linebacker Brandon Smith
- Punter Jordan Stout
- Offensive tackle Rasheed Walker
Former Lions who did not receive combine invites include linebacker Ellis Brooks, defensive lineman Derrick Tangelo and offensive lineman Eric Wilson.
Penn State's group of eight participants underscored the amount of veteran talent on the team last season. Brisker and Dotson were named All-Americans, Stout was the Big Ten punter of the year and Ebiketie led the conference in tackles for loss. Ebiketie further earned a first-round draft grade from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
Of Penn State's invitees, only Stout and Luketa played in the Outback Bowl. Both recently upgraded their draft value at the Senior Bowl.
Players from 13 Big Ten teams received combine invites; only Northwestern went empty. Ohio State had seven, followed by Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska with four each.
Georgia, which defeated Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game, leads the nation with 14 invites. Alabama and Oklahoma have 11 each, followed by LSU and Texas A&M with nine.
Dotson will be in the first group of players participating in combine workouts. Receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks are scheduled to perform their on-field workouts March 3.
Offensive Lineman and running backs follow in Group 2, followed by defensive linemen and linebackers in Group 3 and defensive backs and specialists in Group 4.
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