Who's In, Who's Out for Penn State at the NFL Scouting Combine

Nine Nittany Lions were invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the third quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Nine Penn State football players received invitations to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, led by quarterback Drew Allar, who continues his rehab from an October ankle fracture that required surgery.

Penn State's combine invitees include six offensive players and three on defense from a 2025 team that began with high hopes for championships and NFL draft prospects but fizzled to a 7-6 record. Once considered a draft class with four potential first-rounders, Penn State now likely has one.

Here's the list of Nittany Lions headed to the combine, scheduled for Feb. 23-March 2 in Indianapolis. A total of 319 NFL Draft prospects will attend.

• Quarterback Drew Allar
• Running back Kaytron Allen
• Tight end Khalil Dinkins
• Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton
• Defensive tackle Zane Durant
• Offensive lineman Vega Ioane
• Offensive lineman Drew Shelton
• Running back Nicholas Singleton
• Safety Zake Wheatley

What is Drew Allar's combine status?

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Allar will be among the most-watched players at the NFL Scouting Combine, simply because GMs and scouts will want to test his physical and mental states after last season. Allar entered the 2025 season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and among the top-ranked quarterbacks in the draft.

Now, he's unlikely to get into the first round after a season in which he played just six games, threw for 1,100 yards and finished with a 64.8 completion rate. Allar underwent ankle surgery in October for the injury, which he said ultimately might be a blessing to his career.

"I think my best football is ahead of me," Allar said in November. "Honestly, this injury might be a blessing for me, just to be able to kind of sit back and reflect on different things and just learn different things, whether that be offensive schemes or defensive schemes."

It's unclear how much Allar will be able to perform for scouts at the combine, though he will meet with teams to set up private workouts ahead of the draft. If he's able to throw, Allar would benefit from showcasing his arm strength and downfield accuracy in a combine setting.

Who is Penn State's top-ranked draft prospect?

Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane (71) celebrates with running back Quinton Martin during the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Offensive lineman Vega Ioane currently is the only Penn State player projected as a first-rounder. ESPN's Field Yates has Ioane, a 6-4, 336-pound interior lineman, going 22nd overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

"Ioane [is] a no-nonsense, rugged guard who is perhaps the most physical offensive player in the class," Yates wrote. "He's a body-mover as a run blocker and terrific in pass protection, not allowing a single sack over the past two seasons."

Ioane did not participate in the Senior Bowl, so the combine will be the first look NFL personnel get of the lineman since last season.

Takeaways from Penn State's combine class

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (11) carries the ball during Senior Bowl practice. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Running back Kaytron Alllen, who ended his career as Penn State's all-time leading rusher, could make a major career move at the combine. Allen will bring a compelling film collection to Indianapolis that will showcase his ability to gain tough yards, rarely lose important yards and identify and attack holes.

Allen also significantly improved his speed last season, which he'll put to the test at the combine if he runs. Allen is a player who could improve at least one round with a notable week at the combine.

Unfortunately, running back Nicholas Singleton won't participate in drills at the combine after sustaining a broken foot at the Senior Bowl. Rich Scarcella of the Reading Eagle reported the news in January.

Singleton had rallied from a slow start to the season, producing three games with at least 95 all-purpose yards in the last month (including 183 at Rutgers) and scoring six touchdowns in his last four games. Singleton would have crushed combine testing, where he could have made a big leap back up the board.

Tight end Khalil Dinkins is a pleasant-surprise addition to Penn State's combine class. He wasn't Penn State's top receiving tight end (14 catches, 167 yards) but played the position really well otherwise. Dinkins is an old-school blocking tight end who could make gains with an athletic combine performance.

Dennis-Sutton was Penn State's physical and emotional star of the Pinstripe Bowl who could continue the team's run of effective NFL edge rushers. Dennis-Sutton will be fun to watch in combine testing.

Three players who could help them significantly at the combine are Shelton, Durant and Wheatley. Shelton, Penn State's starting left tackle, needs to prove his strength to play on an NFL line.

Durant is undersized (6-1, 276) to play defensive tackle in the NFL but might prove his explosiveness to play outside, especially with a strong performance in in testing. And Wheatley enters the combine among the nation's most underrated safeties who gets the most out of his physical traits.

Among the notable Nittany Lions who did not received invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine were center Nick Dawkins and right tackle Nolan Rucci. Both will seek to make their cases at Penn State's annual Pro Day in March.

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