Utah's Dallen Bentley receives NFL Draft Combine invite

Senior tight end had career-year for the Utes in 2025

Utah Utes tight end Dallen Bentley (88) was one of the team's top threats in the passing game throughout the 2025 season. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A breakout season from Dallen Bentley has earned the Utah tight end a trip to Indianapolis.

Bentley, who just wrapped up his third and final season with the Utes, received an invitation to participate in the 2026 NFL Draft Combine on Friday.

Now-former Utah tight ends coach Fred Whittingham Jr. shared Bentley's accomplishment via social media on Friday, just a few days after the 6-foot-4 senior recorded a career-high 106 receiving yards in his team's 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Bentley finished the 2025 campaign with 48 receptions for 620 yards, coming in second on the Utes in both categories. He also had six receiving touchdowns, tying wide receiver Larry Simmons for the most on the team, and garnered All-Big 12 third team honors for his efforts.

The NFL draft combine, set for Feb. 26 through March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, will be Bentley's second opportunity to showcase his talents in front of pro scouts, with his first such opportunity coming in late January during the East-West Shrine Bowl. Bentley will compete in the annual college all-star game and participate in workouts over the span of a few days from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Bentley, who transferred to Utah ahead of the 2023 season after spending his freshman year at Snow College, a junior college in Ephraim, Utah, entered 2025 with a combined three catches for 20 yards through his first two seasons of his Division I career. Injuries and players ahead of him on the depth chart prevented Bentley from being more involved in the Utes' offense early on in his Utah tenure.

Congratulations to @dallenbentley on an outstanding season. Just got his @NFLCombine invite! pic.twitter.com/hebTSZOKb4

— Fred Whittingham Jr. (@FWhittinghamJr) January 3, 2026

Bentley played behind a couple of standout tight ends, including Utah's most recent draft pick, Caleb Lohner, as well as Brant Kuithe, before seizing a chance to claim a starting role with the Utes in 2025.

In addition to being a reliable option for Devon Dampier in the passing game, Bentley played a role in blocking for one of the nation's most potent rushing attacks. Utah recorded a program-record 3,462 yards on the ground, ranking second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per game (266.3), and tied Navy for the second-most rushing touchdowns in the FBS (41).

Lohner, a college basketball standout who transitioned to the gridiron, became the ninth Utah tight end to be selected in the NFL draft and the most recent since 2023, when Dalton Kincaid went No. 25 overall to the Buffalo Bills. Lohner was the No. 241 overall pick in the 2025 draft by the Denver Broncos.

Most mock drafts don't feature Bentley's name, though he's on the fringe on being a top 10 tight end prospect for ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper. Time will tell how Bentley's draft stock is impacted by his performances in the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL draft combine events.